Türkiye, Bulgaria agree on new border crossing exclusively for trucks

ANKARA

Trucks queue at the Hamzabeyli crossing between Türkiye and Bulgaria.

Türkiye and Bulgaria have agreed to open a new land border crossing dedicated exclusively to heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) north of the existing Kapıkule-Kapitan Andreevo checkpoint, in a move aimed at easing long-standing congestion and speeding up trade with Europe.

Trade Minister Ömer Bolat announced the agreement, saying the two countries had reached a consensus on establishing the new customs gate. Construction procedures will begin once the necessary bilateral agreement is signed.

The decision follows diplomatic efforts by Ankara to address lengthy truck queues that have disrupted exporters and transport operators. Türkiye currently has three land border crossings with Bulgaria: Kapıkule, Hamzabeyli and Dereköy. However, the capacity of Kapıkule and Hamzabeyli, the two main routes for freight traffic to Europe, has struggled to keep pace with demand.

International Transporters Association (UND) Chairman Şerafettin Aras said around 2,000 trucks pass through the two crossings daily, making additional capacity essential. He said the new gate would significantly reduce waiting times, accelerate deliveries and increase Türkiye’s export capacity.

“Every day spent waiting at the border increases costs,” Aras said, stressing that delays affect agricultural produce as well as industrial and textile goods.

He added that the new crossing would also support transit transport along the Middle Corridor and the Development Road, two strategic trade routes connecting Asia and Europe. The industry hopes the facility can become operational within a year.

Border congestion has repeatedly triggered complaints from truck drivers. On Oct. 17, queues on the Bulgarian side reportedly stretched up to 30 kilometers due to insufficient processing capacity.

Ankara has also raised issues related to the Schengen area’s 90-days-in-any-180-day period of stay rule, seeking visa facilitation and priority border processing for Turkish truck drivers through talks with Bulgarian officials and European Commission representatives.