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Mustafa Muhtaroglu, chairman of Istanbul-based physical bunker supplier Energy Petrol Shipping Trade Industry Inc., has today informed Bunker Index that Istanbul sold 1.8 million tonnes of marine fuel last year, up 200,000 tonnes, or 12.5 percent, on the 1.6 million tonnes it sold in 2010.

The latest data from Energy Petrol follows the company's recent announcement earlier this month that it had also recorded a 12 percent rise in volume sold to 234,000 metric tonnes in 2011, with sales turnover increasing by 47 percent to USD 172 million.

Commenting on the port figures, Muhtaroglu said the data confirmed Istanbul's position as the "best and leading supply port in the area".

"We provide good quality, fast and efficient bunkering - that's why people choose Istanbul," said Muhtaroglu. "I learnt something else: that people go to safe and reliable places in times of crisis and that Istanbul maintains a strong position in the area as a safe and reliable port in a stable country."

"I believe general economic and social status and crises in countries affect the bunkering sector as well. Turkey is a rising star among world economies and the total volume of cargoes handled in Turkey increased in 2011 with a stable number of ships calling at Turkish ports, helping bunker volumes to increase," commented Muhtaroglu.

"Turkey aims to be a maritime nation," said Muhtaroglu. "We support this general aim of increasing bunker activities and serving more vessels in Turkey, which also offers advantages to Turkish ship owners with competitive bunkering at home ports."

Commenting on his recent trip to London for IP Week, Muhtaroglu said: "In London, I talked to suppliers at competing ports such as Piraeus and Suez - both said that volume was dramatically down in 2011. Suez said by some 50 percent and Piraeus suppliers estimated a decrease of around 25 percent for volume supplied in 2011, which seems to be related to the general economic and social issues in such countries."

As regards the Istanbul market, Muhtaroglu said that of the eight physical suppliers in Istanbul, five had a total market share of approximately 85 percent.