A leading ro-ro company operating in the intermodal transportation sector, Ro-Ro, will be initiating operations from the southern province of Antalya as of the new year.

The new operations from Antalya Port, which serves container, general and bulk cargo, project cargo and cruise ships, are expected to contribute to Antalya's export of fresh fruits and vegetables.

In April, the leading Danish shipping and Logistics Company DFDS signed a share purchase agreement with U.N. Ro-Ro, a leading operator in intermodal transportation in Turkey. DFDS agreed to acquire 98.8 percent of U.N. Ro-Ro from Roro Investments Sarl owned by the Actera Group and Esas Holding for 950 million euros.

As a result of an agreement between the Port Akdeniz Antalya and a Ro-Ro company, the new trips that will start between Mersin-Antalya-Trieste (Italy) ports and are planned to be carried out once a week.

It was reported that with regular Ro-Ro trips, access to Europe will be provided in a time period of 56 hours, thus creating a significant cost and time advantage.

Speaking about the issue, Özgür Sert, general manager of Port Akdeniz Antalya, which is affiliated to Global Investment Holding AŞ, said ships will depart from Antalya and go to Italy's Trieste Port.

"Export products will reach Europe with much more affordable costs. With the start of Ro-Ro operations, foreign trade companies operating in the hinterland of the region and targeting the European market will be provided with a great advantage in international competitiveness," Sert said.

"Besides tourism, Antalya is the capital of agriculture as well, and has significant fresh fruit and vegetable exports," Sert noted.

Still, he added, a significant portion of fresh fruit and vegetable products are transported by land, indicating that when Ro-Ro operations start, fresh fruit and vegetable products will reach markets faster and at a more convenient cost.

"Antalya is an export port," Sert continued.

"The most important item in port trade is mine exports. Mining exports are mainly realized to China. Approximately 40 percent of Turkey's total marble exports are being carried out from Antalya port. We are Turkey's, perhaps even one of the world's largest marble export destinations," he said.

He further emphasized that Ro-Ro trips will provide good results for exports of fresh fruit and vegetable to Europe.

"With the start of Ro-Ro flights, the transportation of fresh fruit and vegetables will be carried out by sea in a significant manner. With this new service, a truck loaded with fruit and vegetables will reach Germany in a faster and uninterrupted way," he added.