New system causes days-long delays at Türkiye-Georgia border

ARTVİN

Georgia's adoption of a revised border processing system has led to significant delays on the Turkish side, with longer processing times during the transition phase causing increased congestion.

According to reports in the Turkish press on Nov. 13, the implementation of the new system at Georgia's border controls, numerous trucks are enduring days-long waits at the Turkish border.

The trucks, departing from Türkiye’s Sarp Border Gate in the northeastern region — a pivotal route to the Caucasus countries — to deliver export goods to their designated locations, have exacerbated the congestion. This influx of trucks has led to heavy build-ups across Artvin’s Kemalpaşa, Hopa and Arhavi districts.

Overflowing truck parks and drivers unwilling to pay parking fees have forced many to line the shoulders of the Black Sea coastal road, impeding traffic flow. Truck drivers, facing average wait times of three to five days to pass through the Sarp Border Gate, voiced frustration over the drawn-out ordeal.

“We’re experiencing great difficulty here,” said Ulvi Memmedor, an Azerbaijani truck driver. “We are stuck waiting in line for four to five days, often along the roadside.”

The Sarp Border Gate, renowned as one of Türkiye’s preferred gateways for outbound travelers due to its allowance for visa-free and ID-only crossings, serves not only personal travel but also significant logistics operations via truck routes.

According to information from Sarp Border Gate officials, the crossing ranked as Türkiye’s third-busiest land crossing in 2023, with 8.6 million travelers passing through, following the Habur and Kapıkule gates, which recorded 8 million and 8.03 million crossings, respectively.

Officials further underscored Sarp’s burgeoning role as a key logistical hub, with truck traffic increasing steadily, compounding the infrastructural and procedural challenges faced at this critical crossing point.