The International Road Transport Union (IRU) has reported on activities aimed at accelerating freight transportation and improving border procedures at checkpoints on Turkey's borders with Azerbaijan and Iran.
Representatives of IRU, its members - the International Transporters Association of Turkey (UND) and the International Transport Companies Association of Iran (ITCAI), as well as customs authorities and the road transport sector, visited the Gurbulak-Bazargan checkpoint on the Turkish-Iranian border and the Dilucu-Sadarak checkpoint on the Turkish-Azerbaijani border. They reviewed border procedures and discussed practical steps to increase cargo flow.
IRU notes that the Dilucu-Sadarak route is one of the transport links between Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Iran, which is gaining increasing strategic importance. This route provides freight access to the Caucasus and Central Asia.
The TIR system plays an important role at checkpoints. The IRU TIR-EPD platform allows carriers to provide customs authorities with advance cargo information. This enables customs services to assess risks in advance, manage workloads more efficiently, and direct controls where needed.
IRU's Chief Representative Erman Ereki stated: "Trucks operating under the TIR system benefit from faster and more predictable customs procedures. TIR-EPD and TIR Green Corridors further expand these capabilities."
The TIR Green Corridor applied at the Dilucu checkpoint allows trucks to submit cargo information before arriving at the border, thereby ensuring a more efficient border crossing process.
IRU said it is promoting the wider use of TIR Green Corridors in the region. The organization believes that expanding digitalization and implementing risk-based border procedures can make better use of existing checkpoint capacities, facilitate legitimate trade, and enhance the security of freight transportation.
Ereki noted that accelerating the transition to eTIR, the fully digital equivalent of the TIR system, would further strengthen the security of the region's transport corridor. "A rapid transition to eTIR will further strengthen the security of this regional corridor," emphasized the IRU representative.
As trade and connectivity along the East-West axis expand, simplifying border procedures and enhancing coordination on routes linking Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Central Asia will become even more important.