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Türkiye will raise the fees charged to foreign-flagged vessels transiting the Turkish Straits without stopping at a domestic port, beginning July 1, 2025, as part of a gradual overhaul of maritime tariffs launched in 2022.
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu announced Sunday that the "gold franc" reference value used to calculate tolls for transiting ships will increase by 15% to $5.83 per net ton.
This figure is used to determine key fees under the Montreux Convention, which governs passage through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits.
This marks the 4th tariff revision since 2022, when the government began annual adjustments following a presidential decree.
Before that, the gold franc value had been fixed at $0.80 for 39 years. The minister underlined that the new rate reflects the latest data from international gold markets and aims to ensure a fairer distribution of costs.
Uraloglu noted that with the latest increase, the total charges collected for lighthouse, rescue (known as "salvage"), and health services will have risen 7.2 times in dollar terms compared to levels before 2022.
In 2024, a total of 51,058 vessels transited the Turkish Straits without stopping at a domestic port. From these passages, Türkiye collected $227.4 million in tolls.
Uraloglu highlighted this figure as an indicator of both the economic value of the passage and the financial burden of ensuring its safety.
The minister emphasized that the increase will help sustain essential public services provided in the Turkish Straits, which are among the most challenging and risky narrow waterways in the world.
He added that the revenues contribute to maintaining and enhancing maritime safety, environmental protection, and traffic monitoring systems in the straits.
"We are constantly working to improve our vessel traffic monitoring systems and necessary infrastructure to ensure navigational and environmental safety," he said.
Uraloglu concluded by reiterating Türkiye’s commitment to safeguarding its national interests under international maritime regulations.
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