TABNAK, Jan 06: Turkey’s recent decision to revoke fuel tax exemptions for Iranian commercial vehicles entering its borders has sparked significant controversy. This measure, implemented on December 29, 2024, forces Iranian truck drivers to pay exorbitant fuel taxes, amounting to 155 percent of Turkey’s special consumption tax rate. Iranian truckers, already facing delays at border crossings, now confront additional financial burdens that could disrupt the region's trade dynamics.
The move comes as a retaliatory response to Iran’s “full-tank” policy, which mandates foreign trucks leaving Iran to pay a customs duty equivalent to the fuel in their tanks to combat fuel smuggling. While Turkey justifies its decision as reciprocal, it undermines ongoing efforts to strengthen bilateral trade relations between the two nations.
For years, Iranian trucks enjoyed exemptions from fuel and customs taxes upon entering Turkey. However, the recent policy change could increase transit costs by up to 50% for Iranian transporters, rendering cross-border trade economically unfeasible. Meanwhile, Turkey continues to exempt Iranian passenger buses from similar taxes, ostensibly to preserve its tourism industry. This selective policy exposes Ankara’s prioritization of tourism revenues over equitable trade relations.
However, According to Baghaei the issue is not a ‘political matter, but a technical one’ which is being dealt with Iranian transportation and fuel sectors.
He further said that Iran and Turkey are trying to sort out the issue by good neighborliness.
