Made in Türkiye, tested in transit: The automotive logistics market in 2026
Türkiye's automotive industry remains a vital manufacturing hub for Europe, but falling vehicle exports, changing production patterns and mounting pressure on transport corridors are testing its resilience. This new Automotive Logistics whitepaper examines the infrastructure, costs and policy decisions shaping the market as it heads into 2027.
Türkiye exported 1.06m of the 1.42m vehicles it produced in 2025, with around 87% of those exports bound for the European Union. Yet the logistics network that moves those vehicles has come under growing strain. Production is falling, the output mix is shifting towards vans and other light commercial vehicles (LCVs), and transport capacity is constrained as much by permits, visas and border systems as by physical infrastructure.
While Türkiye’s plants remain competitive and closely integrated with European supply chains, their ability to move vehicles and components depends on a few ports, one main land border and EU rules that are still being written.
“Made in Türkiye, tested in transit: The automotive logistics market in 2026” looks at how resilient those corridors are, drawing on industry data, Automotive Logistics Intelligence research and analysis of the regulatory developments that could reshape automotive trade between Türkiye and Europe.
What does the whitepaper reveal?
The report explores the key developments shaping Türkiye’s automotive logistics market:
How a 27% fall in car exports and a 13% rise in LCV production in the first nine months of 2026 are changing demand for transporter decks, ro-ro space and compound capacity
Why reliance on a handful of Marmara ro-ro terminals and the Kapıkule border crossing leaves a large share of export volumes exposed to disruption
How transit permits, Schengen’s 90/180-day rule for drivers and border delays limit road capacity, alongside new rail links and tightening short-sea shipping space
How inflation, high interest rates and the Gulf conflict are reshaping logistics contracts, working capital and investment in transport capacity
What the EU’s proposed Industrial Accelerator Act and its “Union origin” rules could mean for manufacturing, sourcing and vehicle exports between Türkiye and Europe
The role of targeted inventory buffers, two-way vehicle flows, integrated logistics providers and digital planning tools in managing disruption
Automotive Logistics in Istanbul
The whitepaper was published ahead of Automotive Logistics’ panel at Logitrans Istanbul, “Resiliency and agility: future-proofing Türkiye’s automotive logistics against regional and global disruptions”, on November 12 in the Avrasya Conference Hall.
Daniel Harrison, senior automotive analyst at Automotive Logistics, will open the session by placing Türkiye within the wider European automotive logistics market. Riad Mannan, senior content producer at Automotive Logistics, will then moderate a discussion with Sefa Erdinç Dinçer, head of planning and logistics at Tofaş, and Fatih Kılınç, logistics activities leader at Ford Otosan.
Download the free whitepaper to explore the data, transport infrastructure and policy developments shaping the future of Türkiye’s automotive logistics industry.
