Based in İzmir, Turkey, Mert Shipping serves as a prominent maritime agency and logistics provider with a deep-rooted history in the region’s shipping sector. Established in 1947 by shipmaster Recep Fehmi Zorer, the company has evolved from a foundational marine transport entity into a comprehensive service provider, maintaining a family-led continuity through multiple generations of the Zorer family. Over decades of operation, it has solidified its identity as a key facilitator of maritime trade through Turkish waters, particularly leveraging its strategic presence near major transit points.
The core of Mert Shipping’s operations revolves around its function as a vessel and port agent. The company plays a critical role for ships transiting the Turkish Straits—the Bosphorus and Dardanelles—as well as those calling at various Turkish ports. By managing the complex regulatory and operational requirements of these waterways, Mert Shipping attends to hundreds of vessels annually. Their agency services are extensive, covering essential needs such as transit coordination, crew changes, medical response for personnel, and the supply of provisions, fresh water, and bunkers. This operational support ensures that vessels owned by international principals can navigate Turkey’s maritime jurisdiction efficiently and without delay.
Beyond agency work, the company functions as an integrated logistics partner, offering brokerage and chartering services that connect ship owners with cargo interests. Their chartering department specializes in brokering agreements for dry bulk and general cargo, serving diverse industries including cement, iron and steel, textiles, and construction materials. To support these maritime activities, the firm provides multimodal transport solutions, integrating seaway container transport with highway and airway logistics to facilitate door-to-door delivery. This capability allows them to handle complex logistics projects, including project cargo and heavy-lift transport, ensuring goods move seamlessly from production facilities to final destinations.
Mert Shipping also maintains a technical dimension to its services, coordinating ship repairs, docking, and maintenance for vessels in need of technical support while in Turkish waters. By combining traditional ship agency duties with modern freight forwarding and technical management, the company acts as a versatile intermediary in the global supply chain, bridging the gap between local Turkish infrastructure and the international shipping community.
