The Route For Export And Import Transport Moves From Europe To Asia

However, exports to the Turkic Republics and the Russian Federation increased significantly. Transports to Iraq and Syria have accelerated in the Middle East. Transportation in imports are in the same situation, there was a 10 per cent decline in Europe, while the CIS and Central Asian countries increased imports by 20 per cent.

Erman Ereke: Transport to Russia and China to accelerate

Commenting on the issue, UND Chief Executive Erman Ereke said that; “Exports to European countries, especially in the leading countries have decreases as 5% in Germany, 15% in Italy and 7% in France. Exports to CIS and Central Asian countries, there are the increases especially as 29% to Uzbekistan, 32% to Turkmenistan, 21% to Russia, 40% to Kazakhstan. In terms of imports, there is a 10% decrease in Europe, but a 20% increase in CIS and Central Asian countries. The empty returns of Turkish vehicles from Europe increased by 47%, while the empty returns from CIS and Central Asian countries decreased by 40%. We see that export and import transports in CIS and Central Asian countries are more stable and this is one of the positive results. When we look at the trade flow through transport figures, we see that there is a shift from Europe to Asian countries in terms of both export and import. We expect further improvement of relations with Russia in the coming periods, implementation of visa liberalization for trucking rig drivers, road transport agreement signed with China and renewed road transport agreement with Uzbekistan; the importance of the region will increase further and our foreign trade will accelerate with the number of transport.

Share of Turkic Republics in Transports

According to UND's latest February 2019 road transport statistics; the number of exports of Turkish vehicles decreased by 2 percent compared to February last year and was 96 thousand 515 units. In January-February total, Turkish vehicles had 192 thousand 16 units of export transportation with a decrease of 3 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. The number of transport of foreign vehicles decreased by 2 percent in February with 27 thousand 183 units. In January-February total, foreign vehicles decreased by 3 percent and conducted 51 thousand 347 units of export transportation. With regards to Turkey's export shipments, Turkish and foreign vehicles made 243 thousand 363 units with 3 percent of decrease compared to the same period last year in total of transport exports. As Iraq and Syria have increased compared to the same period of the previous year, it is noteworthy that exports to the Middle East countries increased only by 1 percent. Exports are declining in all other regions. Among the most important markets in European transports, there are the decreases to Germany with 5 percent, Italy with 15 percent and France with7 percent as remarkable declines. European countries fell 1 percent in total. In the CIS and Central Asian countries, the number of transports increased to the Russian Federation with 21 percent and to all of the Turkic Republics, including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Unlike other countries, there is a serious decline to Nakhichevan with 70 percent.

Having the largest share among the foreign vehicles carrying the Turkey's exports from January to February 2019, Bulgaria increased the carrying capacity by 2 percent while the vehicles with Serbia’s plate number drew attention with 23 percent.

14 percent drop in importation transports

Imports of Turkish vehicles in February decreased by 4 percent to 33 thousand 722 units. In January-February total, Turkish vehicles decreased by 11 percent compared to the same period of the previous year and carried 60 thousand 517 imports. The number of transport of foreign vehicles decreased by 15 percent in February to 15 thousand 747 units. In January-February, foreign vehicles decreased 29 percent compared to the same period of the previous year and realized 29 thousand 719 import transports. With regards to Turkey's importation transports, Turkish and foreign vehicles realized 90 thousand 236 units of importation transports with 14 percent decrease compared to the same period last year, in total.

567 Percent of Increase in the Entry of Empty Western European Vehicles

In the January-February period, the number of empty returns of Turkish carriers from European countries increased by almost 50 percent depending on the great decrease in importation transports. The increase in the number of empty returns in Western Europe, Eastern Europe and Southern Europe was higher. The foreign vehicles returning empty to Turkey from European countries increased by 82 percent. In particular, the number of empty returns from Western Europe has accelerated. The increase in Turkish vehicles returning empty from Western Europe increased by 391 percent, while the rate of foreign vehicles increased by 567 percent. In January-February 2019, only 18 thousand 683 foreign vehicles from Europe entered empty in our country to take on load. Among the foreign vehicles entering empty, Bulgaria comes the first doing 5 thousand 722 units of transportations with 102 percent increase followed by Georgia and Romania. Turkish transporters made empty return to their home countries with 70 thousand vehicles per month, while foreign vehicles made 14 thousand empty entries per month.

Germany Makes Turkey its Transit Route

Referring to transit shipments via Turkey, it is seen that the Turkish and foreign vehicles make transport to neighboring countries, mainly to Iran, Iraq, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece. In vehicles doing transit transport through Turkey, Iran draws attention intensively. On the other hand, it has been attracting attention that Germany makes Turkey its transit route, the neighboring countries such as Bulgaria, comes from Georgia and Azerbaijan come after these countries. The Turkish vehicles, on the other hand, achieved a 12 percent increase in transit shipments compared to the same period of the previous year and realized transportation mainly to Iraq and Azerbaijan.