Port firm takes extra precautions on outbreak
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Reeta Paakkinen
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 14, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - In hopes to ease concerns over the global swine flu outbreak, Global Port is taking extra measures at Turkey’s southern ports. Besides buying thermal cameras and protective equipment, the firm is also training staff at the ports.
Global Port Holdings is taking measures at Kuşadası, Bodrum and Antalya harbors with the aim to prevent the spread of H1N1 virus into Turkey, Arpak Demircan, vice president at Global Yatırım Holding business development department, said yesterday.
Global Port Holdings, a subsidiary of Global Yatırım Holding, is the largest cruise port operator in Turkey with a market share of 57 percent in terms of number of calls in 2008.
The company recently bought thermal cameras and protective equipment, and is training its port staff to take precautions against the cross-contamination of H1N1 virus, Demircan told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review on the sidelines of the Port Finance International conference. The measures also include upgraded cleaning materials for disinfecting the port facility.
Cost of security
"We have invested some $700,000 in total in security at Kuşadası Port. This sum includes capital expenditure on security infrastructure. Recently we also purchased thermal cameras and personal protective equipment for staff and passengers arriving in Kuşadası to protect them from the cross-contamination of the H1N1 virus," Demircan said.
Global Port Holdings is focusing most of its efforts in Kuşadası because of the high passenger volumes of the port. Some 626,000 passengers used Kuşadası Port last year. "We are taking precautions because many of the passengers are from countries where the virus is already present, the United States, the United Kingdom and some European countries. We are analyzing profiles of visitors, their countries of origin and the spread of swine flu there. Any suspicious cases we will coordinate with the local government," Demircan said.
Global Port Holdings is currently looking at the privatization tenders of other ports in Turkey. "We are interested in İskenderun port, which is waiting to be privatized. We are also looking at some cruise developments in Caribbean and new cruise and cargo ports in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea," Demircan said.Global Port Holdings is currently waiting for the completion of its process to take over the İzmir Port. The firm won the $1.275 billion tender together with Hong Kong-based Hutchinson Port Holdings in May 2007. The takeover was hampered by legal disputes, but is now expected to complete in the last quarter of this year or early 2010. İzmir Port is the largest Turkish port on the western coast with an annual capacity of 4 million tons of bulk cargo, 1.15 million tons of general cargo, and 1.2 million TEU container cargo. TEU stands for twenty-foot equivalent units, a measure used in container shipping.
"The takeover process for İzmir’s port should not have taken this long. Since May 2007 the economic climate has changed a lot. We had 14 consortiums of banks chasing us to finance the port. Now the scenario is very different and the situation will be challenging," Demircan said.
Global Port Holdings, a subsidiary of Global Yatırım Holding, is the largest cruise port operator in Turkey with a market share of 57 percent in terms of number of calls in 2008.
The company recently bought thermal cameras and protective equipment, and is training its port staff to take precautions against the cross-contamination of H1N1 virus, Demircan told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review on the sidelines of the Port Finance International conference. The measures also include upgraded cleaning materials for disinfecting the port facility.
Cost of security
"We have invested some $700,000 in total in security at Kuşadası Port. This sum includes capital expenditure on security infrastructure. Recently we also purchased thermal cameras and personal protective equipment for staff and passengers arriving in Kuşadası to protect them from the cross-contamination of the H1N1 virus," Demircan said.
Global Port Holdings is focusing most of its efforts in Kuşadası because of the high passenger volumes of the port. Some 626,000 passengers used Kuşadası Port last year. "We are taking precautions because many of the passengers are from countries where the virus is already present, the United States, the United Kingdom and some European countries. We are analyzing profiles of visitors, their countries of origin and the spread of swine flu there. Any suspicious cases we will coordinate with the local government," Demircan said.
Global Port Holdings is currently looking at the privatization tenders of other ports in Turkey. "We are interested in İskenderun port, which is waiting to be privatized. We are also looking at some cruise developments in Caribbean and new cruise and cargo ports in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea," Demircan said.Global Port Holdings is currently waiting for the completion of its process to take over the İzmir Port. The firm won the $1.275 billion tender together with Hong Kong-based Hutchinson Port Holdings in May 2007. The takeover was hampered by legal disputes, but is now expected to complete in the last quarter of this year or early 2010. İzmir Port is the largest Turkish port on the western coast with an annual capacity of 4 million tons of bulk cargo, 1.15 million tons of general cargo, and 1.2 million TEU container cargo. TEU stands for twenty-foot equivalent units, a measure used in container shipping.
"The takeover process for İzmir’s port should not have taken this long. Since May 2007 the economic climate has changed a lot. We had 14 consortiums of banks chasing us to finance the port. Now the scenario is very different and the situation will be challenging," Demircan said.