Iran, Turkey discuss expansion of transport, transit coop.

EghtesadOnline: During a meeting held between Iranian Ambassador to Turkey Mohammad-Hassan Habibzadeh and Turkish Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Enver Iskurt, the two sides explored the avenues for the expansion of cooperation between Tehran and Ankara in the fields of transportation and transit, according to Tehran Times. 

In this meeting, the projects and prospects for the development of relations between the two countries in various fields of rail, road, air and sea transportation were discussed and opinions were exchanged.

In this meeting, the recent problem of truck traffic at the border crossings of Iran and Turkey was also discussed.

Turkey’s recent decision to revoke fuel tax exemptions for Iranian commercial vehicles entering its borders has sparked significant controversy. This measure, implemented on December 29, 2024, forces Iranian truck drivers to pay exorbitant fuel taxes, amounting to 155 percent of Turkey’s special consumption tax rate.

Iranian truck drivers, already facing delays at border crossings, now confront additional financial burdens that could disrupt the region's trade dynamics.

The move comes as a retaliatory response to Iran’s “full-tank” policy, which mandates foreign trucks leaving Iran to pay a customs duty equivalent to the fuel in their tanks to combat fuel smuggling. While Turkey justifies its decision as reciprocal, it undermines ongoing efforts to strengthen bilateral trade relations between the two nations. / Mehr