Over 2 million ships pass through Turkish Straits in 20 years

More than two million vessels have passed through the Turkish Straits over the past 20 years, underscoring their critical role in global trade and energy supply security, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said on Thursday. Speaking at the opening of the fifth Türkiye Maritime Summit in Istanbul, Uraloğlu noted that maritime transport carries 88% of global freight, while 85% of Türkiye’s foreign trade by tonnage is handled by sea.

Strategic vision

Marking the 100th anniversary of Türkiye’s Cabotage Law, Uraloğlu said the country is determined to combine its maritime heritage with a forward‑looking vision. “Türkiye has become an indispensable link in both North‑South and East‑West corridors,” he said, adding that recent disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz have highlighted the vulnerability of global transport systems and the need to manage risks as well as crises.

New trade routes

Uraloğlu said Türkiye aims to develop the Middle Corridor into a high‑capacity trade route linking Asia and Europe. He also highlighted the Development Road Project, which aims to connect the Persian Gulf to Europe through Türkiye, and announced that a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia to revive the Hejaz Railway would add another major link to the logistics network. “With this project, we plan to offer an alternative trade route to the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.

Maritime capacity

Türkiye’s merchant fleet now stands at 2,234 vessels with 51.8 million deadweight tons, making it one of the world’s largest fleets. Five Turkish ports rank among the world’s 100 busiest, and Türkiye ranks seventh globally in ship orders, second in mega‑yacht production, and first in Europe in ship recycling. Türkiye has signed 65 maritime agreements with 51 countries, and an agreement with Panama increased the number of countries recognising Turkish seafarers’ certificates to 42.