Development of freight villages and evaluati̇on of freight villages in Turkey

Logistics management can be defined as the bi-directional flow of products, services and information between the first point of origin where it is produced and the point of consumption at which it is used, and the management of the activities to be fulfilled during this flow. Especially, logistics management, which is an indispensable element of global trade, is a complex process involving difficult activities. It has also attracted attention and investments by contributing directly to the economies of countries and the efficiency of the enterprises. Freight villages are suitable centers for intermodal and multimodal transportation in order to realize logistics activities effectively and efficiently and the centers that minimize the negative effects of these activities in cities. The freight village practices, which began with the establishment of the first examples in America, spread to Europe by 1960s and the world through. Turkey has opened its first freight village in 2007. Within the scope of state policies in Turkey, it was planned to establish 21 freight villages and 9 of them were put into operation. In this study it was evaluated by case analysis of the freight villages in İstanbul (Halkalı), İzmit (Köseköy), Balıkesir (Gökköy), Samsun (Gelemen), Eskişehir (Hasanbey), Uşak, Denizli (Kaklık) ve Kahramanmaraş (Türkoğlu), which are operating in Turkey. In the analysis, the size and locations of the freight villages, their connections with the transportation modes and the amounts of freight carried are considered. These freight villages have been compared with each other and freight villages in America and Europe which stated in the study in terms of mentioned criteria. The strengths and weaknesses of the freight villages in Turkey have tried to reveal. Key Words: Logistics, Logistics Management, Freight Village.