Ankara: Trkiye's road freight to Syria increased 60% in the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period last year, driven by improving conditions in Syria and renewed efforts to reopen transit corridors to the Gulf, according to the head of Trkiye's international transport association. Serafettin Aras, chairman of the board at the International Transporters Association (UND), said Trkiye made nearly 113,000 road shipments to Syria between January and May 2025, up from around 70,000 in the same period of 2024.

According to Anadolu Agency, Aras stated that the number of trips from Trkiye to Syria is expected to increase further. He expressed confidence that the 50,000 transit numbers to Syria, before 2011, will increase three, four, or fivefold. Syria and Iraq remain vital to Trkiye's trade routes, and there has been progress following the Global Transportation Corridors Forum in Istanbul, which brought together officials from nearly 40 countries.

Aras recalled that following the outbreak of conflict in Syria in 2011, goods were often returned at the Cilvegozu Border Gate. Transit activity to Syria fell to a standstill, and bilateral trade with Iraq and Syria slowed sharply. Previously, goods had to be transported through northern Iraq and then transferred into Syria.

Despite a 3% year-on-year decrease in overall bilateral transport to Iraq and Syria, Aras mentioned that the transit model is now gaining ground again. A memorandum of understanding on transit transport with Syria was signed during the Istanbul forum. Recently, one of Trkiye's transit trucks departed from Izmir and delivered cargo to a port in Iraq for onward shipment to Gulf countries, marking the country's entry into Iraq's Truck Permit System.

Aras emphasized that this increase in transit transport will bring benefits to the sector and boost foreign exchange inflows to Trkiye. He pointed to current instability in maritime routes due to the Israel-Palestine conflict, saying land transport through Syria and Iraq will become increasingly crucial for Gulf shipments. Trkiye aims to transport European goods and expand its own exports to the UAE and Saudi Arabia through this corridor.

Last year, the Turkish transport sector completed around 493,000 trips to Iraq and 190,000 to Syria. Aras expects these trips to rise significantly in 2025 as security improves and agreements take effect.