Evaluating Connectivity of Kocaeli Port In Regional Maritime Networks

This study investigates the dual role of the Kocaeli Port within regional maritime networks by disaggregating its participation into trade-based (active) and transit (pass-through) vessel flows. The aim is to assess the port's functional and structural centrality across interconnected maritime corridors. The research employs directed graph modeling and four centrality metrics -Degree, Betweenness, Eigenvector, and Network Influence Rank (NIR)- to evaluate Kocaeli Port’s nodal influence. United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD) M49 regional classifications are used to globally frame the port’s connectivity and to differentiate the economic versus structural dimensions of its network presence. The results reveal that Kocaeli Port exhibits strong centrality within targeted bilateral and multilateral trade corridors, reflecting its industrial and logistical prominence. However, its positioning in the transit subnetwork demonstrates broader structural embeddedness without proportional economic interaction. This divergence underscores the necessity of distinguishing between structural integration and functional engagement when evaluating port connectivity. By introducing a dual-dimensional framework for analyzing port roles, the study contributes to the evolving discourse on maritime network analysis. This study makes an explicit distinction between trade-driven port centrality and transit-based port centrality in a regional context. It contests the longstanding dependence on throughput measures and puts forward a methodological way of working that is pertinent to hybrid-function ports in analogous geo-economic contexts. The findings yield actionable insights for port authorities, regional planners, and transportation policymakers that may help them to align infrastructural investments with functional performance of the ports.