Transport in Turkey is road-dominated and mostly fuelled by diesel. [1] Transport consumes a quarter of energy in Turkey, [2] and is a major source of air pollution in Turkey and greenhouse gas emissions by Turkey. The World Health Organization has called for more active transport such as cycling. [3] As of 2023 health impact assessment is not done in Turkey. [4] : 50
The TCDD – Türkiye Devlet Demir Yolları (Turkish State Railways) possess 10,984 km of 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) gauge, of which 2,336 km are electrified (2005). [7]
There are daily regular passenger trains all through the network. [8] TCDD has started an investment program of building 5.000 km high-speed lines until 2023. Multiple high speed train routes are running, including: Ankara-Eskişehir-İstanbul, Ankara-Konya and Ankara-Sivas lines.
The freight transportation is mainly organized as block trains for domestic routes, since TCDD discourages under 200 to loads by surcharges.
After almost 30 years without any trams, Turkey is experiencing a revival in trams. Established in 1992, the tram system of Istanbul earned the best large-scale tram management award in 2005. Another award-winning tram network belongs to Eskişehir (EsTram) where a modern tram system opened in 2004. Several other cities are planning or constructing tram lines, with modern low-flow trams.
By 2014, there have been 12 cities in Turkey using railroads for transportation.
Azerbaijan – via Georgia – under construction
Armenia – closed (see Kars Gyumri Akhalkalaki railway line) [9] 
Bulgaria – open – 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Georgia – under reconstruction – break-of-gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)/1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in).
Greece – open – 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) (Note: Passenger services as Express of Friendship/Filia suspended from 13 February 2012 [10] )
Iran – via Lake Van train ferry – same gauge
Iraq – No direct link, traffic routed via Syria – same gauge
Syria – closed – 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) (Note: It was suspended after breakout of Syrian Civil War in 29 August 2011)
Road transport is responsible for much air pollution in Turkey and almost a fifth of Turkey's greenhouse gas emissions, mainly via diesel. It is one of 3 G20 countries without a fuel efficiency standard. [11] As of 2020 [update] there are many old, inefficient, polluting trucks. [2] Retiring old polluting vehicles by forcing all cars and trucks to meet tailpipe emission standards would reduce disease, especially from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. [12] As of 2014 [update] , the country has a roadway network of 65,623 kilometres (40,776 miles). [13] The total length of the rail network was 10,991 kilometres (6,829 miles) in 2008, including 2,133 kilometres (1,325 miles) of electrified and 457 kilometres (284 miles) of high-speed track. [14] [15] The Turkish State Railways started building high-speed rail lines in 2003. The Ankara-Konya line became operational in 2011, while the Ankara-Istanbul line entered service in 2014. [15] Opened in 2013, the Marmaray tunnel under the Bosphorus connects the railway and metro lines of Istanbul's European and Asian sides; while the nearby Eurasia Tunnel (2016) provides an undersea road connection for motor vehicles. [16] The Bosphorus Bridge (1973), Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge (1988) and Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge (2016) are the three suspension bridges connecting the European and Asian shores of the Bosphorus strait. The Osman Gazi Bridge (2016) connects the northern and southern shores of the Gulf of İzmit. The 1915 Çanakkale Bridge (2022) , connects the European and Asian shores of the Dardanelles strait.
As of 2022 [update] fuel quality and emissions standards are not as good as those in the EU. [17]
In 2023 the World Bank said the government should plan and subsidize the rollout of public electric car chargers, particularly because so many people live in flats. They said that a subsidy would provide environmental and social benefits. They also said that cities should set an end date for diesel buses. [18]
There are three types of intercity roads in Turkey:
– The first is the historical and free road network called State roads ( Devlet Yolları ) that are completely under the responsibility of the General Directorate of Highways except for urban sections (like the sections falling within the inner part of ring roads of Ankara, Istanbul or İzmir. Even if they mostly possess dual carriageways and interchanges, they also have some traffic lights and intersections.
– The second type of roads are controlled-access highways that are officially named Otoyol . But it isn't uncommon that people in Turkey call them Otoban (referring to Autobahn) as this types of roads entered popular culture by the means of Turks in Germany. They also depend on the General Directorate of Highways except those that are financed with a BOT model.[ citation needed ]
– The third type of roads are provincial roads (Il Yolları) are highways of secondary importance linking districts within a province to each other , the provincial center, the districts in the neighboring provinces, the state roads, railway stations, seaports, and airports
As of 2023, there are 471 tunnels (total length 665 km) [21] and 9.660 bridges (total length 739 km) [22] on the network.
There are numerous private bus companies providing connections between cities in Turkey. [23] For local trips to villages there are dolmuşes, small vans that seat about twenty passengers. As of 2010, number of road vehicles is around 15 million. The number of vehicles by type and use is as follows. [24]
Escooter rental is available in some cities, [28] and escooters can be used on cycle paths, and on urban roads without cycle paths where the speed limit is below 50 kph. [29]
As of 2020 [update] over half the registered motor vehicles are cars - about 12.5 million - of which 4.7 million are diesel fueled, 4.7 million LPG, and 3 million gasoline. [30]
In 2013 Turkey had the tenth largest passenger air market in the world with 74,353,297 passengers. [31] In 2013 there were 98 airports in Turkey, [32] including 22 international airports. [33] As of 2015 [update] , Istanbul Atatürk Airport is the 11th busiest airport in the world, serving 31,833,324 passengers between January and July 2014, according to Airports Council International. [34] The new (third) international airport of Istanbul is planned to be the largest airport in the world, with a capacity to serve 150 million passengers per annum. [35] [36] Turkish Airlines, flag carrier of Turkey since 1933, was selected by Skytrax as Europe's best airline for five consecutive years in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. [37] [38] [39] With 435 destinations (51 domestic and 384 international) in 126 countries worldwide, Turkish Airlines is the largest carrier in the world by number of countries served as of 2016 [update] . [40]
Total number of Airports in Turkey: 117 (2007)
Airports – with paved runways
total: 88
over 3,047 m: 16
2,438 to 3,047 m:
1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
914 to 1,523 m: 16
under 914 m: 4 (2010) (Link: [41] )
Airports – with unpaved runways
total: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 4 (2010) (Link: [41] )
Heliports 20 (2010)
About 1,200 km
Road traffic is a major source of air pollution in Turkey, [42] and Istanbul is one of the few European cities without a low emission zone. [43] [44]
Transport emitted 85 megatonnes of CO2 in 2018, about one tonne per person and 16 percent of Turkey's greenhouse gas emissions. Road transport dominated transport emissions with 79 megatonnes, including agricultural vehicles. [45]
Turkey is a founding member of the OECD and G20. The country's economy ranked as the 17th-largest in the world and 7th-largest in Europe by nominal GDP in 2024. It also ranked as the 12th-largest in the world and 5th-largest in Europe by PPP in 2024. Turkey is a developing, upper-middle income, mixed economy. Turkey has often been defined as a newly industrialized country since the turn of the 21st century. The country is the fifth most visited destination in the world, and has over 1,500 R&D centres established both by multinational and national firms. Turkey is among the world's leading producers of agricultural products, textiles, motor vehicles, transportation equipment, construction materials, consumer electronics, and home appliances. Among OECD nations, Turkey has a highly efficient and strong social security system; social expenditure stood at roughly 12.5% of GDP.
Turkish Airlines, or legally Türk Hava Yolları Anonim Ortaklığı, is the flag carrier of Turkey. As of June 2024, it operates scheduled services to 349 destinations in Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, and the Americas. The airline serves more destinations non-stop from a single airport than any other airline in the world and flies to 130 countries, more than any other airline. With an operational fleet of 24 cargo aircraft, the airline's cargo division Turkish Cargo serves 82 destinations. The airline also owns a low-cost subsidiary, AJet.
Pegasus Airlines, sometimes stylized as Flypgs, is a Turkish low-cost carrier headquartered in the Kurtköy area of Pendik, Turkey with bases at several Turkish airports.
İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport is an international airport serving İzmir and most of the surrounding province in Turkey. It is named after former Turkish prime minister Adnan Menderes.
Turkish State Railways (TCDD) started building high-speed rail lines in 2003. TCDD has branded its high-speed service as Yüksek Hızlı Tren (YHT) which currently operates on three lines: the Ankara–Istanbul high-speed railway, the Ankara–Konya high-speed railway and the Ankara-Sivas high-speed railway. YHT is the only high-speed rail service in Turkey, with two types of EMU train models operating at speeds of up to 250 km/h (155 mph) (HT65000) or 300 km/h (186 mph) (HT80000).
Turkey has a state-owned railway system built to standard gauge which falls under the remit of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. The primary rail carrier is the Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları (TCDD) which is responsible for all long-distance and cross-border freight and passenger trains. A number of other companies operate suburban passenger trains in urban conurbations.
Otoyol 4, named Anatolian Motorway and abbreviated as O-4, is a toll motorway connecting the northwestern Marmara Region to the Central Anatolia Region in Turkey. It runs parallel to the D.100 for more than half of its length and then parallels the D750 for most of the eastern half. The O-4 is a major expressway in Turkey as it connects eastern Istanbul and the heavily urbanized northeastern shore of the Sea of Marmara to the nation's capital, Ankara. The O-4 also makes up part of the International E-road network E80 and E89 as well as the AH-1 of the Asian Highway Network.
Rail transport in Turkey began in 1856 with the start of construction of the 130 kilometres (81 mi) İzmir–Aydın Railway.
The State Railways of the Republic of Turkey, abbreviated as TCDD, is a government-owned national railway company responsible for the ownership and maintenance of railways in Turkey, as well as the planning and construction of new lines. TCDD was formed on 4 June 1929 as part of the nationalisation of railways in Turkey.
Yüksek Hızlı Tren or YHT are the high speed train services on high-speed rail in Turkey. They are operated by TCDD Transport and are the country's only high-speed services and the railway's premier intercity train service. As of 2022, the network spans 1,385 km (860.6 mi) and services major cities like Istanbul, Ankara, Eskişehir, İzmit, Konya, and Sivas. Expansion of the system is underway and the network is expected to reach Edirne, Afyonkarahisar, Adana, and İzmir in the 2020s.
The General Directorate Of Highways (KGM) is a state agency in charge of the construction and maintenance of all public roadways outside of cities and towns in Turkey. It was established on 1 March 1950, following the acceptance of the International Highways Act in 1949. The agency is a sub unit of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.
İzmir is a transportation hub for western Anatolia. İzmir has an extensive bus system, a developing metro, commuter rail system and a large urban ferry network. The city has highways connecting it to Çeşme, Menemen, Istanbul, Bursa, Aydın and Denizli as well as a beltway. Mass transportation is operated by four separate public agencies all owned by the İzmir Municipality.
Energy consumption per person in Turkey is similar to the world average, and over 85 per cent is from fossil fuels. From 1990 to 2017 annual primary energy supply tripled, but then remained constant to 2019. In 2019, Turkey's primary energy supply included around 30 per cent oil, 30 per cent coal, and 25 per cent gas. These fossil fuels contribute to Turkey's air pollution and its above average greenhouse gas emissions. Turkey mines its own lignite but imports three-quarters of its energy, including half the coal and almost all the oil and gas it requires, and its energy policy prioritises reducing imports.
Istanbul Airport is the larger of two international airports serving Istanbul, Turkey. It is located in the Arnavutköy district on the European side of the city. It is the largest airport in Turkey and the 2nd busiest airport in Europe.
Turkey uses more electricity per person than the global average, but less than the European average, with demand peaking in summer due to air conditioning. Most electricity is generated from coal, gas and hydropower, with hydroelectricity from the east transmitted to big cities in the west. Electricity prices are state-controlled, but wholesale prices are heavily influenced by the cost of imported gas.
TCDD Transport or Turkish State Railways Transport is a government-owned railway company responsible for the operations of most passenger and freight rail in Turkey. The company was formed on 14 June 2016, splitting off from Turkish State Railways (TCDD) to take over railway operations, while TCDD would continue to administer railway infrastructure. TCDD Taşımacılık officially began operations on 1 January 2017.
The Otoyol is the national network of controlled-access highways in Turkey. The term Otoyol translates to motorway while the literal meaning is auto-route. The Otoyol was first opened in 1973.
Oil supplies over a quarter of Turkey's energy. Because the country produces very little oil, it is almost completely dependent on imports of oil and oil products such as petrol and diesel, over half of which is consumed in the country's road vehicles. Turkey is the world's largest user of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for road transport.
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