Despite the growing tensions between Greece and Turkey and the war-like climate, the ports of Thessaloniki and Izmir (Smyrna) are set to be connected by ferry as of this Wednesday 12 October.
A test run of a ship linking the ports took place on Monday afternoon with the ferry "Smyrna di Levante" which is owned by Levante Ferries.
According to Managing Director of Levante Ferries, Efstratios Apergis, the commercial operation will begin on Wednesday.
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday the ship will leave from Thessaloniki, and every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday from Izmir (Smyrna) for a 14-hour trip. "Smyrna di Levante" has a capacity of 948 passengers and 55 trucks, or 315 private cars.
Thessaloniki Port Authorities have set up appropriate facilities for required controls, as passengers and goods will need to go through customs control because Turkey is not part of the Schengen zone.
