The Turkish group Yildirim acquires the control of the port of Gemport

The Turkish group Yildirim, through the Yilport branch, has obtained a quota majority of the capital stock of Gemport Port and Warehousing Administration, the society that manages the port of Gemport, the first private harbour port of call of Turkey. In the past weeks the group has signed an agreement with the bank group Isbank in order to acquire the 54% of Gemport (of 3 October 2012) and has now widened own participation to the 86.6% of the capital.

The port of Gemport, that it gives job to beyond 400 people, per year has an ability to traffic of container pairs to 600.000 teu and of traffic of motors vehicle pairs to 400.000 ceu.

"Yilport - the managing director of Holding Yilport has commented, Sean R. Pierce - now has a new gem in its pocketbook. Gemport, with its expert staff of professionals and its enviable position, represents a strategic acquisition for the organization, that it will allow with Yilport to create one of the greater structures and technologically advanced of all Turkey and of the surrounding region. We are enthusiastic of the arrival of Gemport with its diversified pocketbook of services that in more are adapted to the total strategy of Yilport to offer a complete service to own customers and to supply the maximum productivity constantly".

The president of Yildirim, Robert Yuksel Yildirim, has remembered that last year its group has acquired the 50% of the container Maltese terminal Malta Freeport ( of 7 November 2011) and that is in negotiations in order to acquire harbour activities in Africa and Latin America: "we do not rush - it has specified Yildirim - since we must find those which offer the best return. With Yilport Gebze, Yilport Gemlik, Malta Freeport and RotaPort, we are successful to reach a pocketbook of the value of two billions of dollars. We will invite foreign investor to approach to you after we reach a critical dimension and sustainable". Yildirim has specified that the group will reach a position of absolute relief over five years: "currently - it has explained - we have an ability anniversary of traffic of the container of 5,5 million teu in five ports and in five years we will reach an ability to 7,5 million teu. This constitutes a record for a Turkish society and is successful to being one of the first 20 total harbour operators in a short amount of time".