The ‘Competitive Development of Ports in Turkey’ seminar
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Minister Yildirim, ladies and gentlemen,
It is an honour for me and for the Dutch delegation to be your guests here today in Ankara. A city with a rich history as demonstrated by the many archaeological finds that have been discovered. Finds that show the presence of the Hittite, Phrygian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman civilizations.
The ties between the Netherlands and Turkey also extend far into the past, although, as far as I know, there have been no finds relating to the trade in tulip bulbs in the 17th century… In 2012, we will, however, be celebrating four hundred years of diplomatic relations between our countries. And that is a lasting relationship of which we can be rightly proud.
The Netherlands and Turkey maintain warm ties right up to the highest levels. The first state visit of your former President Sezer to the Netherlands was in 2001 and in March 2007, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix came to your country. I see this as a sign of a good relationship and of the mutual respect that exists between Turkey and the Netherlands, and this applies not only at the level of heads of state.
Our peoples also have close ties. The Netherlands accommodates several hundreds of thousands of people who have Turkish roots. The guest workers of the time are now enjoying their well-earned retirement. And their children and grandchildren continue to make a contribution to Dutch society. Many of them choose to be entrepreneurs. This demonstrates courage, perseverance and the ability to recognize and seize opportunities. And that appeals to me: an attitude that does not focus on limitations but rather on possibilities. A characteristic that I believe is shared by the Turkish and Dutch alike.
And that is why our countries not only have contact at the diplomatic level but also at the level of more practical matters. Just like today, at this seminar. We are examining the development of ports in Turkey, and we are further strengthening the good cooperation between our countries. Good cooperation will become even more important in the future. In the first place, we are growing closer to one another within Europe, and secondly – despite the current crisis – the expectation is that transport flows will continue to grow and become more complex.
To kick off this seminar, I would like to focus on three points: urgency, opportunities and cooperation.
First of all: the urgent need for an energetic approach to strengthening our ports.
Maritime trading nations like the Netherlands and Turkey urgently need ports of an international quality. The shortest route between Turkey and its main counterparts is often by sea. The Turkish economy will grow in the decades ahead, and this means that proper port development is a conditio sine qua non for further development.
The current economic crisis does not diminish this fact. Port development in times of economic crisis needs to follow a focused but flexible approach: focused, because of long term objectives in terms of competitiveness and accessibility to markets; flexible, because both the timing of developments and the ability to make the optimal choice of locations will become more critical in defining financial and economic success or failure.
This is the perfect time to be looking to the future. Are we well prepared for when the global economy recovers? Will we then be able to profit from new opportunities? Or will we allow port towns in other countries to walk away with the profits?
Countries like China and India are undergoing impressive development. They are investing heavily in the quantity and quality of their ports and routes across water. The Netherlands is determined to profit from this. Our aim is to continue to be a leader in the international premier league of maritime trading nations. And that means working hard every day, very hard indeed!
Turkey too is feeling the urgency. The capacity of your ports needs to be expanded and your competitive position bolstered. And improvements are needed in the links between your ports and road and rail networks. Port development in Turkey should enable economies of scale and scope to emerge, as well as the ability to compete with other ports. It should learn from international experiences and best practices, but be formulated and embedded in specific Turkish terms and conditions.
This is the way to work on the future of your ports. Logical, because 86% of your international transport of goods runs via your ports. The danger is great that ports that lag behind will hinder your development.
[Opportunities]
My second point: the opportunities offered by the strengthening of our ports. Before the economic crisis, large growth had been predicted in the international transhipment of containers, even as much as 8 percent per year. The crisis has thrown a spanner in the works but I am convinced that this setback is temporary. Growth will pick up again – hopefully in the short term. This prospect alone offers wonderful opportunities for the ports of Filyos, Candarli, Mersin, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Opportunities for which we need to prepare!
The Netherlands is responding to this expected growth by building the Second Maasvlakte. With an expansion of 1000 hectares of industrial estate, we are literally giving our major port the room to withstand growing competition. It is precisely in times of economic crisis like these that it is important to make ourselves strong.
You are also going to work on strengthening your ports, to make them into ports with a regional function. You are calling on Dutch companies to assist in the development of one of these ports, the port of Filyos. A good example of sound cooperation between Turkish and Dutch public and private parties.
And it is not just the ports that are being strengthened. You have also chosen to modernize your major hinterland connections. An example of this is the development of a rail corridor from Halkali to Kapikule, on the border with Bulgaria, that will also connect up with the European TEN-T network. Here too Turkish and Dutch public and private parties cooperated in the feasibility study and applying for a European subsidy.
[Cooperation]
And this brings me to my third point: cooperation. Port development and the strengthening of hinterland connections is needed urgently and offers opportunities. But to make optimal use of these opportunities, cooperation and knowledge sharing are crucial.
The Netherlands is advantageously situated in north-western Europe, a position we have built on since the 17th century. This experience currently translates into a group of Dutch companies with worldwide international experience, combined with in-depth knowledge of Turkey, who are here to offer their services to assist in the future development of Turkey.
You yourselves are builders of renown. I have looked with admiration at a project like the Marmaray Tunnel. This is quite a feat, from which we Dutchmen could learn a lot. The tunnel is suspended in the Bosphorus at a depth of 55 metres and creates a link between the ports and the hinterland connections. It even connects to the network of European corridors.
We are aware that you are working hard on acceding to the European Union. And that Turkey, supported by EU funding, will make great improvements in the area of infrastructure. Sound advice on the best approach to this can be worth its weight in gold. The Netherlands would like to assist you in a consultancy capacity. It is important to share knowledge if in this way we can help one another to progress
Minister Yildirim, ladies and gentlemen,
Port development is more than building ports. It is about a deep understanding of the traffic and trade patterns that underlie the need for port development, about the ability to bring and keep partners together, and about managing ports in an effective, professional and transparent way.
The prosperity of every country is partially dependent on sound infrastructure. It is therefore a pleasure to see how Turkey is working on this fundamental element that will support a prosperous future. I wish everyone a constructive and successful day and I look forward to hearing how all of your think we can make the cooperation between Turkey and the Netherlands even more profound.