21 February 2023 (Lloyd's List) - IT WILL take several months for operations at Iskenderun port to resume fully following damage caused by two powerful earthquakes in the region, Turkish ports operator Limak said.

The port’s containership area also suffered extensive damage in a fire following the February 6 quakes.

Limak said work was continuing to fully restart operations in around three months, adding that there was no structural damage to the port or any equipment.

Around one third of containers at Iskenderun were damaged, local sources told Lloyd’s List. The port’s ro-ro and ferry terminals are being used in earthquake relief efforts, with at least eight vessels discharging since the earthquakes struck Türkiye’s southern regions.

Iskenderun is the country’s fourth-largest port in terms of gross tonnage last year, accounting for 9% of the total, official statistics showed. Limak owns 80% of the Iskenderun port, while investment fund Inframed owns a 20% stake.

Most other ports in the country’s Mediterranean coast are operating normally, as ports of Ceyhan and Mersin restarted after temporarily stopping operations as a precaution right after the earthquake. Some companies have been diverting traffic to the Mersin International port, which is the biggest alternative containership terminal in the area.

Türkiye’s Mediteranean coast is key for the country’s energy and commodity trading, as it is home to multiple crude oil, refined products, coal and steel terminals.

Turkish state-owned natural gas supplier Botas said Ertugrul Gazi, the floating storage and regasification unit, met the natural gas demand of the region that was struck by the quakes.

The death toll from the earthquakes that hit Türkiye and Syria is currently more than 46,000.