The port in the Iskenderun district of Türkiye's southern Hatay province, which suffered damage in last year's earthquakes and was adversely impacted by a subsequent fire, has largely recovered and neared its pre-quake capacity, its general manager said Friday, while hinting at expansion plans.
Gündüz Arısoy, general manager of Limak Iskenderun International Port, one of the largest ports in the Eastern Mediterranean, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that it was one of the businesses most affected by the February earthquakes that caused massive destruction over vast swaths of 11 provinces in the country's southeast, killing over 53,000.
Arısoy said that the 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes damaged the quay, hinterland, infrastructure, machinery and equipment.
However, he indicated that despite this damage, no collapses occurred.
"We have no collapses or slumps on the quays. They were all repairable damage. We also experienced a fire after the earthquake. The fire also seriously affected us. The first five to six days passed by dealing with the fire, and we could not take any action regarding the earthquake," he explained.
Arısoy explained that they quickly began conducting necessary soil surveys and analyses, engaging project companies in the process, and mentioned that they worked with consulting firms from both domestic and international areas.
Following the completion of analyses, Arısoy said they determined the required steps needed to undertake the repair process and that they immediately took action.
"Being a part of Limak Holding and receiving support from Limak Construction was very important for us. Limak Construction took over the coordination of all repair works, and machines and equipment, personnel and subcontractor supplies were mobilized very quickly," he said.
He also noted it would have been ideal to complete all repairs and then restart operations but that they preferred to extend support to the region with partial capacities, in line with the needs of exporters and importers there.
Accordingly, Arısoy stated that they opened the quays for service in April, May and October of last year and had reached 80% of the pre-earthquake capacity as of December. He also provided information they were using half of the pre-earthquake capacity currently, as the capacity they have reached meets the needs of the region at the moment.
He also mentioned that they were employing some 1,200 individuals along with subcontractors before the earthquake and highlighted a series of measures he said were undertaken to meet the needs of employees after the disaster.
Meanwhile, he said that port repairs would continue in 2024 and 2025, adding: "We aim to exceed our former capacity, even surpass it. We aim to increase our capacity by approximately 30% within the next two years."
Arısoy concluded by emphasizing that the port serves as a source of employment for the city, and they endeavor to carry out monthly and annual routine expenses in the region, thus supporting the regional economy.
