Türkiye’s Consul General in Mashhad, Fatih Topçu, met with Iranian officials to address the problem of prolonged waiting hours for Turkish transporters heading to Central Asia via Iran at Lotfabad customs on the Turkmenistan border.
During the meeting, both parties discussed potential solutions to the problem and agreed on three concrete steps.
First, working hours will be increased in coordination with Turkmenistan to expedite the clearance process at the border.
Additionally, some non-Iranian drivers will be issued a fuel card to streamline purchasing fuel.
Finally, changing trailers will be eliminated, reducing the time it takes for Turkish transporters to cross the border.
The resolution of this issue is expected to improve trade relations between Türkiye and Central Asia while promoting greater efficiency and ease of transport for Turkish businesses.
Iranian officials further said that trucks will now be allowed to exit the Lotfabad customs border crossing following their order of registration on the internet. In addition, trucks carrying perishable goods and dangerous materials will be given priority to streamline the customs clearance process.
In a recent meeting with border authorities from Turkmenistan, Iranian officials made several suggestions to improve border efficiency as well.
These included extending the border activity hours to 24/7, increasing the number of vehicles permitted to enter and exit daily, and eliminating the practice of changing trailers at the border, which was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Iranian officials, the Lotfabad customs crossing has a capacity of over 250 daily vehicle entries and exits. To further reduce waiting times, Turkish companies have been requested not to register Lotfabad as the final destination for their trucks, which will help eliminate the need for trailer replacement at the border.
While fuel-related problems remain unresolved, Iranian officials have begun issuing fuel cards to some non-Iranian drivers on a trial basis to alleviate the problem.
During the meeting, Topçu noted that Turkish transporters could use the Sarakhs border gate instead of Lotfabad, as operations at Sarakhs can be completed on the same day.
The long waiting hours at Lotfabad are often the result of an unfair vehicle tracking system, according to Topçu, which leaves truck drivers in unhealthy conditions for extended periods.
Although Iran has proposed extending working hours at the Turkmenistan border to 24/7, this may not happen in the short term. As a result, the situation at Lotfabad may continue to be intense for some time and could recur periodically, he said.
Iran and Türkiye currently engage in bilateral trade worth $7.5 billion. However, the two countries aim to significantly increase this amount to $30 billion shortly, focusing on the defense and energy sectors as the driving forces behind this growth.