Turkey's Role in Logistics and Transportation Sector
Turkey plays a critical role in the global logistics network due to its geographical location at the intersection of Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Our country has the potential to become not only a transit point, but also a major logistics center with its advanced transportation infrastructure. Turkey's strategic location allows it to be within a 4-hour flight distance to 67 countries with a trade volume of 8.6 trillion dollars and inhabited by 1.4 billion people worldwide.
Turkey's logistics and transportation sector has become a growing market every year. In 2021, 24 billion dollars of 61 billion dollars of service exports were realized by logistics and transportation services. In 2022, this figure increased to 35.3 billion dollars, and the total exports %It was 39.6. This situation shows how important the contribution of the logistics sector to Turkey's economic growth is. As of 2023, Turkey's service exports are targeted to reach 100 billion dollars and 35 billion dollars of this is expected to be realized by logistics and transportation services.
Turkey exports logistics services in the world ranking with 35 billion dollars of service exports %It has 2.5 shares and ranks 11th. Among the targets of 2024, it is expected that 110 billion dollars of service exports and 40 billion dollars of this will come from the logistics and transportation sector. While this figure is aimed to reach 200 billion dollars in 2028, logistics and transportation service exports are planned to increase to 78 billion dollars.
The development of the logistics and transportation sector is also directly related to the support provided by the state. Until the end of 2023, approximately 18.5 million TL was provided within the scope of General Supports for this sector and 1 billion TL was provided through the Turquality Support Program. Turkey is determined to increase its transportation and logistics infrastructure investments in order to strengthen its position in global trade.
Combining logistics services on transportation corridors, increasing the scales and creating transfer centers for intermodal transportation are among the goals of our country. Establishing logistics centers abroad and supporting distribution networks that will strengthen supply chains are also important strategies. These investments are carried out in line with global trends such as sustainability, environmental awareness, and connectivity to large markets.
By increasing the support provided in the logistics sector and overcoming the obstacles experienced for the transporters, export products will reach their markets faster, more economically and safely. In this context, the logistics and transportation sector is becoming an important part of Turkey's economic growth story.
Our Foreign Trade According to Transportation Methods (USD)
| Mode of Carriage | Exports (in USD) | Import (in USD) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
| the Highway | 68.749 | 78.879 | 83.235 | 48.896 | 59.446 | 66.942 |
| the Sea Freight | 133.714 | 150.255 | 143.358 | 157.390 | 193.799 | 195.172 |
| the Railroad Station | 1.648 | 2.460 | 1.960 | 2.891 | 2.968 | 1.996 |
| the Airline | 18.735 | 20.686 | 25.511 | 26.057 | 38.581 | 53.840 |
| The other (Transportation by mail, line, etc.) | 2.366 | 1.892 | 1.710 | 36.189 | 68.917 | 43.821 |
| THE TOTAL TOTAL | 225.214 | 254.172 | 255.777 | 271.425 | 363.711 | 361.774 |
Source of: Ministry of Commerce, 19/02/2024. The value is: Millions of US Dollars
When our export data in terms of monetary value (USD) is evaluated in terms of transportation modes, in 2023, during the first period of export transportations %It is seen that the seaway is located with 56. This ratio once again demonstrates the importance and effectiveness of the seaway in international trade. Sea transportation ensures the economical and safe transportation of large volumes of cargo.
In the second row %There is a road mode with 32.5. Road transport plays an important role, especially in short-haul and regional trade. Road transport stands out with its flexibility and the advantage of being able to offer door-to-door services. In the third place %Air transport is available with 9.9. Although air transport is fast and reliable, it can be higher in cost than other modes.
The last row %It takes railway transportation with 0.7. Railway transportation is especially preferred for the transportation of large and heavy loads. However, the fact that the railway infrastructure is limited and disadvantaged compared to other modes in terms of flexibility keeps the utilization rate low.
In terms of monetary value (USD), it is seen that the seaway takes place in the first place in 2023 in our imports. Our exports of 361 billion dollars ,9 ⁇ u was transported by sea. This situation shows how critically the seaway plays a role in the import processes as well. In the second row %Road mode with 18.5, while in third place %There are 14.8 airlines, and the last %The railroad is at 0.55. These data clearly reveal the dominance of the seaway and the shares of other modes of transportation in import transportation.
Our Foreign Trade According to Transportation Methods (Quantity-Ton)
| Mode of Carriage | Export (Quantity-Kg) | Import (Quantity-Kg) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
| the Highway | 31.810 | 32.164 | 31.405 | 12.161 | 14.409 | 15.821 |
| the Sea Freight | 144.882 | 140.831 | 128.231 | 184.041 | 187.196 | 206.814 |
| the Railroad Station | 1.381 | 1.651 | 1.382 | 1.455 | 1.260 | 811 |
| the Airline | 913 | 1.234 | 1.513 | 117 | 121 | 130 |
| The other (Transportation by mail, line, etc.) | 240 | 174 | 174 | 863 | 1.095 | 893 |
| THE TOTAL TOTAL | 179.228 | 176.056 | 162.707 | 198.639 | 204.083 | 224.471 |
Source of: Ministry of Commerce, 19/02/2024. The value is: A thousand tons
