Geographical Location and Transportation Potential of Turkey
Turkey is a natural bridge between Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East and has great potential in terms of transportation. The fact that Turkey is located on the passageways of three continents makes it the focal point of a transportation network extending to the Atlantic Ocean with the Strait of Gibraltar, the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal, and Eurasia and the Far East with the Black Sea-Mediterranean connections of the Turkish Straits. This situation further increases the importance of Turkey in terms of cabotage, international and transit transportation.
Importance of Sea Freight
Maritime goods transportation is the type of transportation that has the highest share in terms of both volume and value of the goods transported in Turkey, as in the whole world. According to the data of the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), exports in 2023 , while imports ,9 ⁇ u was carried out by sea. These data reveal the critical role of the seaway in our foreign trade.
Export and Import by Sea in 2023
Top 10 Countries in Our Exports by Sea
| Sequence of No | Country of origin | 2023 (USD only) | the Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States of America | 10.215.794.394 | 13,7 |
| 2 | History of Italy | 10.117.183.427 | 13,6 |
| 3 | History of England | 9.833.552.574 | 13,2 |
| 4 | History of Spain | 8.624.789.204 | 11,6 |
| 5 | Germany (disambigu | 8.605.335.350 | 11,5 |
| 6 | History of France | 8.187.678.687 | 11,0 |
| 7 | The Russian Fed. | 6.026.534.332 | 8,1 |
| 8 | the Netherlands | 4.523.748.262 | 6,6 |
| 9 | History of Belgium | 3.243.908.589 | 6,0 |
| 10 | History of Egypt | 3.040.152.061 | 4,3 |
| TOP 10 TOTAL | 72.418.676.880 | 50,5 | |
| THE GENERAL TOTAL | 143.358.000.000 | 100,0 |
Top 10 Countries in Our Imports by Sea
| Sequence of No | Country of origin | 2023 (USD only) | the Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | People of China | 34.017.277.169 | 26,90 |
| 2 | The Russian Fed. | 29.351.294.398 | 23,21 |
| 3 | Germany (disambigu | 12.522.928.968 | 9,90 |
| 4 | United States of America | 8.367.031.726 | 6,62 |
| 5 | History of Italy | 8.278.587.713 | 6,55 |
| 6 | History of Spain | 8.233.947.471 | 6,51 |
| 7 | Republic of South Korea | 7.955.325.615 | 6,29 |
| 8 | History of France | 7.138.720.416 | 5,64 |
| 9 | History of India | 6.154.564.188 | 4,87 |
| 10 | History of England | 4.449.442.739 | 3,52 |
| TOP 10 TOTAL | 126.469.120.403 | 64,79 | |
| THE GENERAL TOTAL | 195.172.000.000 | 100,0 |
Top 10 Products in Our Exports by Sea
The first and most important product in terms of dollar value in our exports by sea in 2023 is by far ⁇ Motorized land vehicles, tractors, bicycles, motorcycles and other land vehicles, their parts, parts, accessories ⁇ GTİP group. The share of the total of the top 10 products in our exports by sea is in 2023 %It was 53.49.
| Sequence of No | Name of GTIP | The GTIP Code | 2023 (USD only) | the Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motor vehicles, tractors, bicycles, motorcycles and other land vehicles, their components, parts, accessories | 87 | 22.121.490.346 | 28,85 |
| 2 | Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products derived from their distillation, bituminous substances, mineral waxes | 27 | 13.963.077.676 | 18,21 |
| 3 | Boilers, machinery, mechanical devices and instruments, nuclear reactors, their components and parts | 84 | 9.651.435.525 | 12,59 |
| 4 | Iron and steel | 72 | 7.485.530.332 | 9,76 |
| 5 | Electrical machines and devices, audio recording-exporting, television image-audio recording-exporting devices, components-parts-accessory | 85 | 5.981.563.084 | 7,80 |
| 6 | Iron or steel articles | 73 | 4.852.362.943 | 6,33 |
| 7 | Plastics and their products | 39 | 4.594.914.360 | 5,99 |
| 8 | Salt, sulfur, soils and stones, plasters, lime and cement | 25 | 2.986.138.519 | 3,89 |
| 9 | Organic-inorganic compounds of inorganic chemicals, precious metals, radioactive elements, metals and isotopes | 28 | 2.548.527.706 | 3,32 |
| 10 | Motor vehicles, tractors, bicycles, motorcycles and other land vehicles, their components, parts, accessories | 87 | 2.502.098.284 | 3,26 |
| TOP 10 TOTAL | 76.687.138.775 | 53,49 | ||
| THE GENERAL TOTAL | 143.358.000.000 | 100,0 |
Importance of Ports in Turkey
The ports in our country are of great importance in terms of the effectiveness of our foreign trade. According to the 2023 data obtained from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, the cargo amounts in tons handled in the first 10 ports of our country are shown in the tables below.
| Sequence of No | the Port Authority | the Turkish Flag | with a foreign flag | the Foreign Trade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kocaeli | 5.207.437 | 63.673.890 | 68.881.327 |
| 2 | Aliaga (disambiguation) | 2.815.315 | 65.829.169 | 68.644.484 |
| 3 | History of Iskenderun | 2.165.726 | 50.972.189 | 53.137.915 |
| 4 | Mersin | 2.434.532 | 38.246.687 | 40.681.219 |
| 5 | Tekirdağ | 715.971 | 22.106.635 | 22.822.606 |
| 6 | the Warehouse | 3.308.007 | 16.812.690 | 20.120.697 |
| 7 | Ceyhan | 520.115 | 17.644.348 | 18.164.463 |
| 8 | Samsun | 641.626 | 11.041.354 | 11.682.980 |
| 9 | Gemlik | 1.328.546 | 10.159.604 | 11.488.150 |
| 10 | Karabiga | 695.717 | 10.537.295 | 11.233.012 |
| THE TOTAL TOTAL | 19.832.992 | 307.023.861 | 326.856.853 |
Source of: Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure
DEVELOPMENTS IN SEAWIRE TRANSPORTATION
Problems in the Suez Canal
November 19th, 2023 The pro-Iranian Houthis, which have been operating in Yemen since then, started to target international ships passing through the Babu ⁇ l Mendeb Strait for allegedly carrying cargo to Israel in support of Hamas ⁇ a. On this development, the major international container transportation companies stopped the passage through the said strait and The Cape of Hope⁇ na is directed. The last bottleneck in the Suez Canal was in March 2021, when the Ever Given container ship blocked the passage for six days.
About the global trade of container ships %The fact that 12 ⁇ will pass through the Cape of Good Hope instead of the Suez Canal where it is transported has increased both costs and transit times. Transport between Asia and Europe according to the location of the ports of origin and destination of the Suez Canal 10 days to 14 days It is shortened between. For example, while the distance between Singapore and Rotterdam is approximately 8,400 nautical miles using the Suez Canal, the distance is approximately if the Cape of Good Hope is crossed on this route. %It increases by 40 to 11,700 nautical miles. This amounts to an additional transport time of approximately 10 days-14 days and an additional transport distance of 6,500 kilometers and an additional cost of approximately $1,000 to $2,000 per container depending on the delivery port. In case of deterioration of the container supply flow, the mentioned freight costs are expected to increase further.
Therefore, if security concerns cannot be addressed, the Cape of Good Hope route is expected to put pressure on the global supply chain in a short time. In addition, there is a possibility of a chain increase in product prices, especially fuel prices, due to the prolongation of their routes.
In terms of our country, The fact that the Suez Canal is not used by commercial ships directly affects the transportation corridors surrounding Turkey. This negative situation causes a decrease in the container stock and the amount of empty equipment in the ports in the Eastern Mediterranean and the ports in the Mediterranean of our country, and an increase in export and import freight prices. About 19,000 ships pass through the Suez Canal each year. Currently, merchant ships that cannot use the Suez Canal try to provide service by circulating the Cape of Good Hope, the southern tip of Africa, as an alternative route.
As a solution, the US administration announced the establishment of a multinational mission against the Houthis' increasing attacks on international ships in the Red Sea. Established to prevent attacks the Welfare Guard Operation In addition to the United States, the multinational mission includes the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Norway, the Seychelles and Spain, and attempts have been made by the United States to participate in other countries in order to expand the mission. It is stated that the naval units of these countries will coordinate patrols in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea despite the attacks of the Houthis on commercial ships.
However, in the short term, the cargoes that reach the ports of our country by crossing the Suez canal from the Far East by container can be transported to our country by road after unloading their cargo at the ports in the Persian Gulf instead of this route. However, the ongoing internal disturbances in Iraq, Syria and Israel along this route, the lack of infrastructure in the ports mentioned and the insufficient capacity prevent the effective use of this route.
Restrictions in the Panama Canal
As is known, El Niño, one of the most important consequences of global warming and recent temperature increases, causes seawater temperatures to increase, especially in the central and eastern parts of the Pacific Ocean, and lasts nine to twelve months, occurring at intervals ranging from 2 to 7 years. El Niño is beginning to show its results on economic factors as well as climatic changes.
In this context, Panama ⁇ , which has received less rainfall than expected since the beginning of 2023, has started to experience a decrease in sea water level due to a record increase in air temperatures. The drop in water level is about 80 kilometers long, linking the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean, and is a major contributor to world trade. %The Panama Canal, where 6 of them passed, caused a disruption in traffic. In the canal, where approximately 14,000 ships pass on an annual basis and 203 million tons of cargo pass annually, the Panama Canal Authority announced that the number of transits will be gradually reduced, and the number of transits in the canal has been reduced from an average of 36 ⁇ to 24 ⁇ per day for the first quarter of 2024 ⁇ . It has been announced that from March 2024, the limitation of 24 ship crossings per day will be increased to 27 ⁇ and daily crossings of 7 ⁇ si neomax and 20 ⁇ si panamax ships will be allowed until further notice.
In this respect, the routes of the ships had to be changed in order to prevent the long waiting times in Kanal ⁇ and in this context, the routes of the ships coming from Asya ⁇ started to be directed to the Suez Canal. Therefore, Suez crossings began to increase until the end of 2023, when the problems in the Red Sea began to show their effect. The aforementioned cuts in the Panama Canal, whose most important users are the United States and China, continue to affect the large and small economies that depend on the waterway in question.
Russia-Ukraine Crisis and Grain Corridor
The Russia-Ukraine Crisis, as in other fields, has deeply affected our country in the field of logistics, especially in the food sector, causing disruptions in the supply chain. As it is known, in order to solve the problems experienced in grain trade due to the crisis between Russia and Ukraine, ⁇ The Joint Command Coordination Center ⁇ was opened again in Istanbul ⁇ on July 27, 2022 by signing ⁇ The Safe Shipment of Grains and Foodstuffs from Ukrainian Ports Initiative ⁇ between Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations (UN) on July 22, 2022. The duty of the center is to ensure the safe transportation of grain and similar food products to be exported from Ukraine from the ports of Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhne by sea. The center consists of 5 ⁇ representatives from Russia, Ukraine and BM ⁇ , together with Turkey, including soldiers and civilians.
Periods of the Grain Corridor Agreement
| the Period Period | History of |
|---|---|
| 1. First Signature Date of the Semester | 22.07.2022 ⁇ 19.11.2022 |
| 2. Period First Extension (120 days) | 19.11.2022 ⁇ 18.03.2023 |
| 3. Period Second Extension (60 days) | 19.03.2023 ⁇ 18.05.2023 |
| 4. Term Third Extension (60 days) | 18.05.2023 ⁇ 17.07.2023 |
The Grain Corridor Agreement, which established the Joint Coordination Center, has been mutually extended three times and in the last case, as of July 17, 2023, the Russian side announced that the agreement will not be extended again and announced that it has withdrawn. With the agreement, 1,004 ships and more than 32 million tons of grain were transported to the relevant countries through Turkey from August 1, 2022 to July 17, 2023, and the problems experienced in the food supply chain were resolved. These products are transported ⁇ ini corn, wheat and %5.8 of them are sunflower meal.
Following the end of the Grain Corridor Agreement, a temporary maritime corridor was established through the territorial waters of the countries of Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania within the framework of a new initiative initiated by Ukraine on August 16, 2023 (humanitarian corridor). As a result of the re-operation of Çornomorsk, Pivdennıy and Odesa Ports within the scope of the temporary corridor, approximately 27 million tons of products were exported within six months.
RO-RO Transportation in Turkey
Transport of Ro-Ro Roll-on/Roll-off is a type of maritime transport that allows wheeled vehicles to enter and exit ships on their own wheels. This system allows vehicles transporting on the road to make part of the journey by sea. This type of transport is particularly suitable for trucks, trucks and other wheeled vehicles.
Advantages of Ro-Ro Transportation
There are many reasons why Ro-Ro transportation is preferred:
- The cost is: Ro-Ro transport is generally less costly than other types of transport.
- Safety of: Carrying out transportation by sea ensures the safe transportation of vehicles and cargo.
- Passport and Traffic Issues: It helps to get rid of transit document and traffic problems in different countries.
- Duration of Drivers' Stay: Increases operational efficiency by shortening the duration of drivers' stay abroad.
- Problems with visas: Minimizes drivers' visa-related problems.
Global and Regional Importance of Ro-Ro Transport
Ro-Ro transportation is used effectively and efficiently in intercountry, intercity, intercontinental seaway and inland waterway transportation in different geographies around the world. It plays an important role in the transportation of finished products, especially in the automotive sector. Close road maritime transport between European Union countries is supported legally and politically and is more preferred every year.
Turkey's Strategic Position in Ro-Ro Transportation
As a country surrounded by seas on three sides with more than 8,400 km of coastline, Turkey has an advantageous position in global transportation activities. Ro-Ro transportation, which is the most important and functional type of combined transportation, offers new exit routes and routes to international goods transportation by road with the advantage of Turkey's geographical location. It draws attention to the fact that the Mediterranean Sea is the most transported sea in the near road sea transportation carried out between the countries of the European Union. Especially the Italy-Turkey Ro-Ro line is one of the busiest lines.
Ro-Ro Ports in Turkey
| Name of port | the City Hall |
|---|---|
| Port of Cesme | History of Izmir |
| Port of Mersin | Mersin |
| Port of Samsun | Samsun |
| Port of Iskenderun | Hatay |
| Port of Ambarlı | History of Istanbul |
| Port of Zonguldak | Zonguldak |
| Port of Haydarpaşa | History of Istanbul |
| Port of Taşucu | Mersin |
| Port of Trabzon | Trabzon |
| Port of Pendik | History of Istanbul |
| the Tekirdağ Port | Tekirdağ |
| Port of Tuzla | History of Istanbul |
2023 Vehicle Statistics Carried on Regular Ro-Ro Lines Connected Abroad
| The lines are | the Incoming Vehicle | The outgoing vehicle | Total transported vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuzla (Pendik)-Trieste | 132.393 | 107.659 | 240.052 |
| Yalova-Sete | 61.083 | 56.353 | 117.436 |
| Çeşme-Trieste | 34.327 | 35.037 | 69.364 |
| Mersin-Trieste | 27.873 | 28.797 | 56.670 |
| Tuzla (Pendik)-Patras | 3.268 | 2.731 | 5.999 |
| Fountain of Chios | 175 | 800 | 975 |
| Tuzla (Pendik)-Bari | 3.362 | 4.029 | 7.391 |
| Category: Izmir-Sete (disambiguation) | 1.824 | 3.458 | 5.282 |
| Kocaeli-Zeebrugge | 15 | 450 | 465 |
| Gemlik and Antwerp | 93 | 13 | 106 |
| Kocaeli and Antwerp | 362 | 6 | 368 |
| Kocaeli-Bremerhaven | 0 | 154 | 154 |
| Kocaeli-Koper | 2 | 115 | 117 |
| Kocaeli ⁇ Valencia | 475 | 1 | 476 |
| Total European Ro-Ro Lines | 265.252 | 239.603 | 504.855 |
| Samsun-Tuapse | 20.633 | 21.271 | 41.904 |
| Samsun-Novorossiysk | 15.990 | 21.047 | 37.037 |
| Istanbul ⁇ Novorossiysk | 73 | 978 | 1.051 |
| Karasu-Tuapse | 4.294 | 7.830 | 12.124 |
| the Karasu - Novorossiysk | 280 | 1.622 | 1.902 |
| Istanbul ⁇ Tuapse | 124 | 662 | 786 |
| Total Black Sea Ro-Ro Lines | 41.394 | 53.410 | 94.504 |
| Mersin and Gazimağusa | 20.482 | 21.662 | 42.144 |
| Taşucu-Girne | 13.675 | 15.311 | 28.986 |
| Tashucu-Tripoli (Lebanon) | 8.441 | 7.998 | 16.439 |
| Mersin-Hayfa | 2.465 | 2.654 | 5.119 |
| Mersin-Girne | 1.332 | 460 | 1.792 |
| Taşucu and Gazimağusa | 887 | 2 | 889 |
| Iskenderun ⁇ Haifa | 716 | 721 | 1.437 |
| Total Mediterranean Ro-Ro Lines | 47.998 | 48.808 | 96.806 |
| Category: Iskenderun-Darus Salam (disambiguation) | 0 | 114 | 114 |
| Total Indian Ocean Ro-Ro Lines | 0 | 114 | 114 |
| Other Ro-Ro Lines | 897 | 657 | 1.554 |
| Total of | 355.541 | 342.592 | 698.133 |
Source of: Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure
INFORMATION ABOUT KARASU-KÖSTENCE RO-RO LINE
Two important initiatives have been made in the field of Ro-Ro transportation between Turkey and Romania. First, on December 9, 2011, a Ro-Ro line between Pendik (Istanbul) and Constanta (Romania) was put into operation. However, this line ended in September 2012. The second attempt was made with the opening of the Karasu-Constan Ro-Ro line on February 3, 2021. Unfortunately, this line also ceased its operations on February 18, 2021. Economic factors such as Romania's high port fees, domestic customs, bridge and highway costs were instrumental in closing both lines soon after.
Operational challenges, such as the type of ship and the number of voyages, also played a role in closing these lines. In particular, problems such as the absence of Ro-Pax vessels, the absence of a customs allocated to Ro-Ro transports in the Port of Constanța, and prolonged official transactions have led to increased costs and prolonged voyage times. Applications such as X-Ray and physical control of all vehicles, and full detection of partial loads have also been effective in this process. In particular, the lack of laboratories for the analysis of products such as fresh vegetables and fruits has led to a decrease in customer demand. The deactivation of Ukrainian ports after the Russia-Ukraine war also increased the density of the Port of Constanta.
In line with the support requests of the sector, the Regulation on Supporting the Transfer of Road Freights to the Seaway published in the Official Gazette dated 9 August 2022 and numbered 31918 by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure has entered into force in order for the Karasu-Constance Ro-Ro line to be operational again and to gain continuity. Within the scope of this regulation, pilotage and towage fees will be supported for all ships without flag separation on the newly opened lines, and for Turkish flagged ships (Ro-Ro and Ro-Pax), additionally, for 10 miles of nautical miles per cargo unit, 2 dollars for Ro-Ro and 3 dollars for Ro-Pax. Under these conditions, a ship carrying 100 trucks, calculated for 200 nautical miles, would receive a support of $2,000. It is also stated that the Romanian government is working on granting some exemptions in order to reduce the costs of the line.
DP World, the operator of the South Constanța-Agigea Port Ro-Ro terminal, announced in its announcement that the terminal preparations for the resumption of Ro-Ro flights on the Karasu-Constanța line have been completed and operations have started on July 3, 2024. The launch of the first Ro-Pax vessel with a capacity of 120 trucks on the Karasu-Constance line in July enables reciprocal flights to be carried out three times a week. These developments are considered as important steps for the re-operation of the line and its continuity.
