Invest News DetailSabah – The construction of Türkiye’s largest naval port in Izmir’s Candarli district commenced with a groundbreaking ceremony attented by ministers, deputies and other high ranking officials. Northern Aegean Candarli Port will take its place among world’s largest ports when it is completed in 2013 and will be able to handle 12 million tons of container cargo annually. “Upon completion in 2013, Northern Aegean Candarli Port is expected to assume a central role in the naval trade between Asia and Europe..”, Minister of Transportation, Habip Soluk said at the ceremony. Also present at the ceremony, former Minister of Transportation Binali Yildirim said that the project will cost TRY 5 billion (Approx. USD 3.1 billion) and will double the container handling capacity of existing ports in Türkiye. Hailed as an alternative to Greece’s Piraeus port on the other side of the Aegean, Candarli Port will have a depth of 40 meters, capacious enough to accomodate ships up to 200,000 tons.