Turkish transporters demonstrate against Iranian fuel sub-charges and taxes

ANKARA

A group of transporters stage a protest at the Gürbulak border gate between Turkey and Iran in the eastern Aprı province. AA Photo

Turkish transporters have used Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s visit to Ankara as an opportunity to cry foul over the excessive fees charged on Turkish truck drivers by Iran, calling for authorities to take corrective measures.

The Istanbul-based International Transporters Association (UND) took out a full-page advertisement in several local newspapers yesterday to demand solutions over the fuel price difference charged on Turkish transporters in Iran as well as the high taxes imposed on Turkey-bound freight.

The ad, titled “Open Letter to Turkish and Iranian Public and Authorities,” was published both in Turkish and Persian, asking for cooperation from both sides.

The transporters lamented the fact that the Iranian government charges an average of $750 per truck and one-way passage for Turkish carriers on the grounds that fuel is more expensive in Turkey.

The ad stressed there is no such practice in any other country except Iran and warned that the fee, which is collected on bilateral and transit trade, thwarts commercial ties between the two countries.
Carriers also said Iranian laws that impose high taxes on Iranian citizens who load freight on foreign trucks make Turkish trucks more expensive. Iranian citizens opt to work with local transporters to avoid paying 10 percent of the freight to the state, which leads Turkish exporters to miss business opportunities.

“This unfairness should be ended,” the statement read.

Turkish and Iranian delegations have met three times over the past six months to seek a solution to these lingering issues.

“We see Hassan Rouhani’s visit to Turkey as an opportunity for a solution to the ongoing transportation problems and the development of trade between the two countries,” the association said.

The statement also asked that Turkish authorities challenge Iranian regulations if no progress is made on the issues.