Chapter 8 Port Governance in Turkey

Turkey is located between Asia and Europe and attracts attention with its economic development. Turkey's landbridge position in north-south and east-west transportation means that ports are of vital importance to the efficiency of logistics activities of the country. Although Turkey has a strategic position in terms of logistics and shipping, its approximately 160 ports do not enjoy the usual benefits of ports. The ports and piers can be classified in terms of whether they are operated by public sector, affiliated sector, regional municipalities or the private sector. This paper focuses on the Turkish port management and administration system and the possibilities for applying good governance in Turkish ports during the current process of privatization of public ports. It concludes that the privatization process has not been completed yet and there are many legal and practical issues to be resolved.