Record Traffic: Over 62,000 Vessels Passed Through the Turkish Straits in Nine Months

Traffic through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles continues to grow — nearly 63,000 vessels transited the straits in just nine months. Increasing port activity and rising cargo volumes further underscore Türkiye’s strengthening role in global maritime trade.

Turkish Business World 28 November 2025 2 minutes read

Traffic Through Turkish Straits Continues to Rise: Nearly 63,000 Vessels Passed in the First Nine Months of 2025

Türkiye continues to strengthen its position as a key link in global maritime logistics. According to Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, a total of 62,736 vessels passed through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles between January and September 2025, highlighting the steady growth of activity along this strategic route.

During this period, the Bosphorus (Istanbul Strait) handled 29,710 vessels, while 33,026 vessels crossed the Çanakkale Strait (Dardanelles). The total gross tonnage of all vessels transiting the straits reached an impressive 1.18 billion GT, underscoring the significant expansion of maritime transport volumes.

Among the vessel categories recorded this year, bulk carriers (11,437) and container ships (7,959) dominated transit traffic. Additionally, 1,235 general cargo vessels passed through the straits, reflecting the diverse range of cargoes moving across this corridor.

Beyond transit operations, Turkish ports also saw notable growth. In the first nine months, 47,631 vessels called at Turkish ports, including 16,770 under the Turkish flag and 30,854 under foreign flags. The Port of Kocaeli ranked first in total arrivals, receiving the highest number of both Turkish-flagged and foreign-flagged ships. Strong activity was also recorded in the ports of Aliağa, Çeşme, Ambarlı, İskenderun, and Mersin.

Cargo handling volumes further illustrate this upward trend: within ten months, Turkish ports processed 457 million tons of cargo and 11.7 million TEU of containers. The cruise sector performed remarkably as well — 1,278 cruise ships arrived at Turkish ports, and the number of passengers surpassed 2 million, setting a new national record.

The latest data confirms that Türkiye is steadily strengthening its strategic importance in global maritime trade. Its geographic position, expanding port infrastructure, and consistent growth in cargo flows solidify the country’s status as a key logistics hub shaping transport corridors between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.