site.btaTurkish Lorry Drivers Protest against Long Waiting Times at Kapikule Border Crossing with Bulgaria

Turkish lorry drivers transporting goods from Turkiye to Bulgaria and to European countries, and back, via the Kapikule border crossing near the Turkish city of Edirne, have joined a protest against long waiting times for customs clearance, which in recent days have exceeded 90 hours, the Demirören Haber Ajansı news agency reported.

The Turkish drivers announced their protest in a joint statement addressed to the institutions responsible for international transport and to the media, issued from a private lorry park near the border crossing with Bulgaria.

“Today we have gathered here to publicly highlight the major difficulties faced by Turkish lorry drivers. Waiting times at Kapikule have exceeded 90 hours. Drivers are forced to wait in their vehicles for days, deprived of basic necessities. This situation is also a problem for Turkiye’s exports and economy. The 90-day visa limit imposed by Europe makes it impossible for drivers to work, as they spend months on the road. Lorry drivers are not tourists; this profession requires a special visa regime. Every driver behind the wheel carries the future of this country,” the statement said.

In it, Turkish hauliers also expressed dissatisfaction, stating that the problem largely stems from the control system on the Bulgarian side, the agency added. According to them, the system applied for checking lorries does not differ from that used for refugees.

Drivers also complained about the lack of toilets, showers and other sanitary facilities at lorry parks.

“We have serious problems with toilets, showers and food. In addition, we are faced with excessive prices here (in the border area – ed. note). I have been waiting to cross into Bulgaria for 70 hours. We observe that the problem largely stems from the control system on the Bulgarian side, similar to refugee checks. A serious bottleneck forms from the duty-free diesel point onwards,” the hauliers said, as quoted by the agency.