Neither Ports America, the nation’s largest port operator, nor its owner, Oaktree Capital, will comment on reports that Turkey’s Yilport Holding Inc. is bidding to purchase a majority stake in the company.
Lloyd’s List, however, said last Friday Yildirim Holdings President Robert Yildirim told the maritime news outlet the Istanbul-based firm is currently in the second round of the sales process for Ports America.
Robert Yildirim, whose company is also a major investor in the French ocean carrier CMA CGM, could not be immediately reached, but Yilport posted the Lloyd’s List story on its website, and a spokesman from Yildirim told American Shipper in an e-mail, “In brief, what was published this week in Lloyd’s List is true, and our company is interested in Ports America.”
