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Türkiye’s road transport sector is urging the European Union to change Schengen rules that restrict Turkish truck drivers’ movements, arguing that the limits disrupt deliveries, hold up cross-border trade and worsen Europe’s shortage of professional drivers.
Serafettin Aras, chairman of the International Transporters Association (UND), called for a common EU-wide arrangement that allows professional drivers to carry out their jobs without being blocked by the Schengen Area’s 90-day stay limit within 180 days.
Aras pointed to the European Commission’s Visa Strategy, dated Jan. 29, 2026, which acknowledges that truck drivers may need to travel for more than 90 days and raises the prospect of new legal solutions.
"Now enact the legislation. We want a common regulation that frees professional drivers’ activities from the 90-day-in-180-day restriction," Aras urged.
The Schengen Area has grown substantially since the system began in 1995 with seven countries covering about 1.6 million square kilometers. It now encompasses 29 countries and roughly 4.5 million square kilometers, according to Aras.
But the rules governing how long drivers can stay have not changed alongside that expansion. The inclusion of Bulgaria and Romania also means time spent in those countries counts toward the same allowance.
Drivers continue to use up their permitted days while loading cargo, waiting to unload or taking mandatory rest breaks, Aras explained. Once they reach the limit, they can be barred from making another trip even when their vehicles and cargo are ready, and European customers are waiting for deliveries.
"You cannot expect a driver turned away at the border to deliver the cargo," he said, calling for legislation that removes restrictions preventing professional truckers from working.
The dispute affects a major trading relationship. The EU is Türkiye’s largest trading partner, while Türkiye ranks as the bloc’s fifth-largest, with bilateral goods trade reaching €217.6 billion ($243.8 billion) in 2025, Aras emphasized.
EU countries account for 42.7% of Türkiye’s exports. In 2025, the bloc exported €114.3 billion worth of goods to Türkiye and imported €103.3 billion worth from the country.
Aras argued that restrictions on truck drivers undermine supply chains linking manufacturers on both sides. European companies operate production facilities in Türkiye, while Turkish transport companies purchase trucks manufactured by European brands, including Mercedes-Benz, MAN, DAF, Volvo, Scania, Renault Trucks and IVECO.
"You cannot free the movement of goods covered by the Customs Union and stop the drivers carrying them," Aras said, arguing that limiting drivers’ mobility runs counter to the commercial ties between Türkiye and the EU.
The restrictions also come as European transport companies struggle to recruit enough drivers.
According to a 2025 survey by the International Road Transport Union (IRU), Europe has about 502,000 unfilled truck driver positions. Roughly two-thirds of European transport operators have turned down new contracts because they cannot find enough drivers, Aras noted.
He warned that sending Turkish drivers back at the border despite the shortage further reduces transport capacity and disrupts supply chains.
"Europe is looking for drivers, yet working Turkish drivers are being turned away at the border," Aras said, urging authorities to remove a restriction he described as aggravating the existing driver crisis.
He also recalled how truckers continued moving food, medical supplies and everyday necessities during the COVID-19 pandemic, when travel restrictions emptied streets across Europe. The European Commission responded to supply chain pressures at the time by proposing “green lanes” and calling for easier movement for transport workers.
The EU should translate the European Commission’s recognition of the problem into legislation covering all Schengen countries, Aras maintained.
The association is seeking faster access to long-term, multiple-entry visas, as well as stay rights that reflect the demands of professional driving. It also wants entry bans that prevent drivers from working on European routes because they have exhausted their permitted stay to be lifted.
Aras further called for greater capacity at the Bulgarian and Greek border crossings to bring an end to queues that can stretch for kilometers and leave drivers waiting for days.
"Do not wait for another crisis to recognize the importance of drivers," he said, pressing European authorities to make a decision, announce a timetable and implement new rules.
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