Arkas Holding Port and Terminal Operations Group President Ozgur Kalelioglu, made important statements regarding Türkiye's port infrastructure, container transportation and new investments. Kalelioğlu, especially for new investments financial support from banks “We need the support of banks for port and ship investments,” he said, underlining the need for With a $300 million Railport investment He added that they aim to accelerate railway trade.
Türkiye's Development in the Port Sector and Arkas' Leadership
Stating that Türkiye has made great progress in the container transportation process that started in the 1990s with limited port capacity, Kalelioğlu said that today Ambarlı Port 5-6 million TEU capacity Kalelioğlu said, “We are currently serving the largest ships in the world at our Istanbul port,” drawing attention to Arkas’ leading position in the sector. He stated that despite the slowdowns in sectors such as textiles and automotive, a positive outlook emerged for Arkas in the first quarter of 2025 and that they continued to grow with new investments.
Emphasis on Railway Transportation with Railport Investment
Kalelioğlu, one of Arkas Holding's newest and most remarkable investments in the logistics sector Railport project He also shared the details:
“The inner port, which we have positioned on an area of 300 thousand square meters, will offer environmentally friendly solutions in logistics with its train and road connection. For this project, 300 million dollar investment “We have done it. We plan to put it into operation in June.”
Stating that despite Türkiye's critical position on the Silk Road trade route, the railway infrastructure is still inadequate, Kalelioğlu said that the current railway transportation in the country only contributes to trade. 1 percent share reminded that he had. This rate increased to 5 percent Kalelioğlu, who noted that the target was to reach 100,000 euros, said that they took a pioneering step in this regard as Arkas Holding and made a long-term investment together with their German partners. He drew attention to both the economic and environmental benefits of railway transportation with the words, “Railway should be used more in Türkiye’s foreign trade. This is very important in terms of green logistics.”
Global Trade Lines and Relations with Russia
Kalelioğlu, who also made evaluations about the changing lines and new markets in global trade, said, “We started the India line via the Suez Canal, our America line is also going very well. However, our main market is the Mediterranean, Black Sea and African regions.” Kalelioğlu, who also stated that they are in an advantageous position in trade relations with Russia, said, “We were not partially affected by the embargoes. We continued to carry cargo to the Black Sea via Istanbul.”
Financing Problem and Call for Support to Banks
Emphasizing that foreign investors’ interest in the Turkish port sector continues to increase, Kalelioğlu said, “The foreign investments that have come since 2005 have increased the capacity of the ports. However, today, accessing financing for new investments has become difficult. The resources we obtain from institutions such as the European and World Banks play a critical role.”
Kalelioğlu, who said that banks should provide more support to sector investments, concluded his words by saying, “As port operators, sailors and shipowners, we expect financial support. When this support is provided, Türkiye will reach an even stronger position in maritime trade.”
