Turkey to raise strait transit fees by 15%

Turkey will increase transit fees for vessels passing through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits by 15% from July 1 as part of its annual tariff revision, broadcaster NTV reported.

The fee will rise to $6.70 per net ton from the current $5.83. Charges are calculated based on vessel tonnage under the 1936 Montreux Convention, which governs navigation through the Turkish straits.

Turkey has raised transit fees annually since 2022. Before that, the charge had remained at $0.80 per ton for decades.

According to Turkey’s Transport Ministry, more than 40,000 vessels passed through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles in 2025. Transit fees collected from ships, which typically range from $15,000 to $30,000 per vessel, help finance coastal services, search and rescue operations, medical assistance and responses to maritime accidents.

N.Tebrizli