[citation needed] Owned by the Turkish State Railways (TCDD), its operating right is transferred on May 11, 2007, to PSA – Akfen consortium for a period of 36 years.

[citation needed] During the American Civil War in the 19th century, Mersin, then a small town, had become an important seaport for the export of cotton in eastern Mediterranean Sea because of the increased demand.

[2] Nevertheless, at the eve of the World War II, the project was postponed and the company was acquired on 14 August 1942 by the government.

The awarded party was the Royal Nederlands Harbour Works Co. (Dutch: Koninklijke Nederlandsche maatschappij voor havenwerken N.V.).

The port's rail connection brings heavy freight train traffic to Mersin, via the Adana–Mersin railway.

There are two breakwaters: Bucket dredging of the sea floor was carried out by a Danish company Christiani & Nielsen in four years.

In 2007, the operating rights of the port was transferred within the governmental privatization programme to the consortium of PSA – Akfen.