Türkiye is raising the transit fee charged on international vessels passing through the Turkish straits by almost 15% as of July, a top official said on Friday.
The fee, calculated under the 1936 Montreux Convention in "gold francs" and based on vessels' net registered tonnage, is updated annually.
"We will update the fee charged per net ton from ships, which was $5.83 in 2025, to $6.70 as of July 1," Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said.
Türkiye had charged $0.80 per net ton from 1983 until Oct. 7, 2022, Uraloğlu told Anadolu Agency (AA).
The fee was revised to $4.08 per net ton in 2022. It was later raised to $4.42 from July 2023, $5.07 from July 2024, before being hiked to $5.83 last year.
The Turkish straits, comprising the Bosporus and Dardanelles, are among the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.
Uraloğlu said vessels passing through the waterways without stopping at Turkish ports are charged under three categories in line with the Montreux Convention: health inspection, lighthouse and salvage services.
He said the latest revision will increase foreign currency revenue for the Treasury.
Revenue from ship transits stood at $38 million between July 2021 and June 2022, before rising to $223 million between July 2024 and June last year.
That figure is expected to reach $254 million as of late June this year, Uraloğlu said.
"The rise in revenue and the price updates show the contribution to the economy," he said, adding that the revision aims to strengthen foreign currency inflows and increase public revenue.
