Turkey should stabilize the logistics position in Russian Corridor

Trans Russia Moscow International Transportation and Logistics Exhibition to be organized the 16th time this year meets its participants between 26th and 29th of May,
2011. Subjects such as sector problems and developments in the sector and
expectations for the future and innovation technologies are going to be discussed by
the participation of over 500 companies from 32 countries which is being expected
to the activity which hosted 12,150 participants last year.
Our export has been realised with a volume of $4,6 Billion and our import has been realised
with a volume of $21,6 Billion with Russia which takes the first place in import and fifth place in export of Turkey.
Russia who shares Black Sea with Turkey; draws attention in recent years with its
expanding economy especially with the investments made in the fields of construction, retail
and trade. Russia whom we export our textile and construction products to is an initial market for Turkey.
The foreign trade volume between two countries is expected to be $100 Billion in the
following 5 years. Important steps should be taken to reach this goal as the logistics is a must for trading.
Constantly changing custom acts and slow transactions cause serious financial and time
losses and the complete transportation time for the deliveries destined to Moscow takes 20-30 days when most of the logistics companies can reach the other side of Black Sea in only 2 days. The reasons of this delay can be listed as over occupied ports, transit procedures and slow transactions at the Russian customs and lack of organization in railway transportation.
When the permanency of cooperation between growing Russian economy and Turkish
foreign trade is considered, it is obvious that important decisions should be made by the
authorities of Russian and Turkish Ministries of Transportation and Customs Administrations to resolve the problems.
In this context “We should stabilize our position in the transportation corridors, improve the
national highway and railway systems, increase the capacities of the ports, support the port
services with ferry and Ro-Ro lines, and reduce the customs formalities”.
Along with all those mentioned; Ongoing studies for the “Turkish Logistics Centre” in South
Russia is the result of an important step. Russian Federation will provide important contributions to our mutual trading to reach the desired potential by gathering the trading actions in one centre which are currently ongoing dispersedly at the Ports of Novorossisk, Gelencik, Tuapse and Sochi.
However it should be known that, Turkish Logistics Centre to be constructed should be
planned as a centre which is integrated with the port and which has highway and railway
connections, along with bonded warehouse, cold storage rooms, container and TIR parks and customs and other administrative buildings included in the structure of the centre.
Along with Turkish Logistics Centre; the “Black Sea Ring Program” which we study on with
Russian authorities on the purpose of creating a mutual system in maritime transportation
between 12 ports of Black Sea is also an initial project. The purpose which lies beneath the
Black Sea Ring Program; is a more free and functional freight shipment and integration
between the countries located around Black Sea and reducing the occupancy of the highways.
It is planned for the countries which are included in the program to integrate their railway lines with the freight transportation at the Black Sea shores.
Another initial side of our relations with Russia is the “Black Sea Economic Cooperation”
which is participated in together as the founder countries. The mutual purpose of both
countries here is establishing a stable environment for cooperation with the countries in the
region and expanding the goods and service trade between parties.