Turkey no longer confines its neo-Ottoman ambitions to the Middle East or North Africa. Yıldırım Holding’s Yilport recently secured a $1.62 billion deal to modernize and jointly operate El Salvador’s Acajutla and La Union ports under a 50-year concession. The agreement ranks as the largest private investment in Salvadoran history, and it aims to triple Acajutla’s capacity while resurrecting the long-dormant La Union facility.

But El Salvador is not an isolated venture. Turkey’s Yilport maritime footprint already extends to terminals at Ecuador’s Puerto Bolivar, Peru’s Paita, and Guatemala’s Puerto Quetzal. At the same time, Global Ports Holding manages five strategic Caribbean facilities, including the San Juan Cruise Port in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.