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Dutch logistics company Raben Group has incorporated Türkiye into its pan-European network, enabling exporters to overcome customs bottlenecks and deliver goods to European Union (E.U.) buyers within 24 hours, the executive said.
Speaking in Poznan, Poland, CEO Ewald Raben said exporters can now store products in Raben’s warehouses before dispatching them through faster customs and transport channels. He emphasized that the company chose Türkiye not as a gateway to Central Asia or the Middle East, but as a dynamic market with strong growth potential.
"Türkiye’s demographic structure and economic dynamism offer major opportunities," he said, adding that Raben aims to replicate its successful "Polish model" of integrated logistics and technology.
Raben entered the Turkish market in June after more than a year of research and consideration of potential acquisitions. Instead, the company chose to establish its own subsidiary, led by Selman Coban, a veteran with more than two decades of logistics experience, according to CEO Raben. Türkiye will serve as a regional center under the company’s 2030 strategy, which targets €5 billion ($5.82 billion) in annual revenue, Raben said, adding that the group aims to generate €30 million ($34.96 million) in turnover from its Turkish operations within three years.
Raben currently operates 170 warehouses covering 2 million square meters across 17 countries and employs 13,000 people. The group reported €2.2 billion in revenue and handled 19.2 million shipments last year. Its largest market is Poland, accounting for 46% of turnover, followed by Germany.
Türkiye’s strategic location between Europe and Asia will make it a key link in the group’s logistics chain, Ewald Raben said. The company sees Türkiye not just as an operational hub but as a future logistics base supporting regional supply chains.
By 2026, Raben Türkiye plans to open warehouses in Bursa, Izmir, and Istanbul’s Asian side, along with new branch offices in Izmir, Ankara, and Mersin. The company’s near-term focus will be on road freight, followed by investments in storage and integrated logistics facilities.
Raben noted that completion of the Zangezur Corridor—a proposed transport route linking the South Caucasus to Türkiye—could transform regional logistics. "If the corridor becomes operational, it could redirect maritime traffic toward Türkiye and reduce both delivery times and costs," Ewald Raben said. "This would strengthen Türkiye’s position as a storage and distribution hub, and we would expand our warehouse investments accordingly."
Raben Türkiye CEO Selman Coban emphasized that the company’s strategy focuses on enhancing exporters’ efficiency rather than competing on market share. "Our European network gives Turkish exporters direct access to EU markets," he said. "Through customs-bonded storage in our European warehouses, goods can be dispatched within 24, 48, or 72 hours depending on distance, giving Turkish manufacturers the same delivery speed as their European competitors."
Raben’s logistics system handles more than 80,000 orders daily across its European network, supported by proprietary software coordinating schedules, routes, and deliveries. The company’s myRaben digital platform allows customers and their clients to track shipments in real time, ensuring transparency across all stages of the supply chain.
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