The Danish shipping company and the Turkish Ekol Logistics have agreed to further develop their cooperation regarding sea freight transports between Italy and Turkey.

DFDS foresees that its Italy-Turkey cargo network will grow in volume by 30% in the near future and as such has decided to increase both the terminal and route capacities.

Specifically, the company has entered into a decade-long agreement with the Yalova port terminal, meaning that DFDS' ships will now depart from three terminals in Istanbul: Ambarlı, Pendik, and Yalova.

Next, DFDS' first two ro-ro newbuildings that are scheduled for delivery in 2019 will be deployed between Turkey and Italy. In addition, route capacity will be increased through reallocations in the company's existing network and external charters.

"The route capacity increase adds further frequency to DFDS' routes and the additional port terminal in Istanbul widens the network. With higher frequency and a more accessible port infrastructure, DFDS will continue to support Turkish exporters and the growth of transport and logistics companies in the market," Selçuk Boztepe, Head of DFDS' Mediterranean business unit, commented.

Back in 2018, DFDS bought the İstanbul-based U.N. Ro-Ro, a shipping line operating a fleet of 12 freighters across five routes in the Mediterranean - from Pendik, Ambarlı, and Mersin to Trieste, as well as between Pendik and Toulon, and Pendik and Bari.

Photo: Ekol Logistics