Türkiye could emerge as a complementary logistics hub in trans-Atlantic trade with its strategic role in supply chains, particularly after recent global disruptions, a head of a logistics association indicated on Tuesday.
"Türkiye is strategically located, connecting Europe’s southern and eastern periphery with the Middle East and the Black Sea basins," said Bilgehan Engin, president of the International Transport and Logistics Service Providers Association (UTIKAD).
In his remarks to Anadolu Agency (AA), Engin stated that developments at the Munich Security Conference offered important clues regarding the future of the partnership between the two sides of the Atlantic.
He noted that global trade has experienced serious turbulence in recent years due to consecutive shocks. He explained that the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, followed by the Russia-Ukraine War, triggered food and energy crises, while security risks in the Red Sea and Suez transit routes further complicated logistics flows.
He pointed out that during this period, the traditional trade structure based on cost optimization gave way to a more complex and fragile system.
"In the trade corridor between the European Union and the United States, technology, technology-intensive inputs, critical components and trade in services have come to the forefront," he added.
Engin underlined that this corridor has a volume of approximately $10 trillion and also serves as a major energy route.
He stated that when this main backbone is evaluated together with NATO, it requires not a single-centered but a flexible structure with alternatives, stressing that Türkiye plays a critical role at this point.
Furthermore, Engin said that the geopolitical conditions during NATO’s founding period differ significantly from today’s circumstances, and that Türkiye should redefine its contribution in this new era.
Similarly, Engin stated that Türkiye is an important hub country in terms of production and supply chains and has a modern port infrastructure, noting that it has a maritime transport capacity of approximately 15 million TEU container traffic and handles over 550 million tons of cargo.
Emphasizing that Türkiye also has strong infrastructure in services exports and trade in services, Engin stated that within the framework of its 2026 and 2030 visions, the country could become one of the integration hubs capable of sustaining production and trade flows despite geopolitical fluctuations.
He explained that although Türkiye is not situated on the main axis of trans-Atlantic trade, it could assume a central role in the first ring of an important alternative outer belt.
"Following global disruptions in supply chains, Türkiye can stand out as a complementary logistics hub in trans-Atlantic trade," he said.
Engin also pointed out that the free trade agreement (FTA) signed with the U.K. is significant in this respect, recalling that the U.K. is one of the key actors in transatlantic trade and NATO.
He stressed that Türkiye should build its trade policy around a "friend-shoring" approach.
"In this context, updating the customs union and enabling visa-free travel for Turkish businesspeople and truck drivers will be important indicators," he argued.
