MSC Maya Breaks Turkey’s Container Record with 22,896 TEU in Single Call at Asyaport

22,896 TEU. A new Turkish record.

Asyaport in Tekirdağ set that mark on September 22, when the MSC Maya loaded and discharged the total in a single call. The previous national record stood at 16,896 TEU, also set at this port, and the MSC Maya beat it by 6,000 boxes.

Besim Dönmez, the port's Planning and Technical Services Manager, said the operation placed Asyaport among the top ranks globally for a Turkish port. The terminal currently handles 2.5 million TEU a year. A second construction phase will extend the berth to 2,800 metres by November 2026, when three of the world's largest container ships can dock at once, served by 15 cranes.

The port sits on the Sea of Marmara in Tekirdağ province, about 130 kilometres west of Istanbul. It draws heavy traffic on Europe-Asia trades. Earlier this month, the sanctioned Pioner 1 was towed to Tekirdağ after losing engine power in the Marmara. Turkey also proposed formal Black Sea shipping corridors to protect civilian traffic the same week the record was set.