400 Turkish truckers stuck at European borders

by Mehmet Yilmaz

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AA) – Hundreds of Turkish truckers were stuck at the Hungarian borders Saturday, waiting for the appropriate documents to let them pass.

The head of the Istanbul based International Transporters Association, Fatih Sener, said Hungary does not issue transport documents to Turkish truckers.

He said, “Approximately 80 of the 400 vehicles waiting at the border [of Romania-Hungary] are bringing loads to Hungary. The remaining 320 are waiting in Kapikule to take loads, Germany, to countries such as England, Netherlands, Denmark, especially to Germany. The loads are stuck at the door because Hungary did not issue a document”.

Kapikule is the customs gate in Edirne province, bordering Bulgaria.

Sener, at an importers’ meeting in Budapest, said the economy of both Turkey and Hungary are affected by the current situation.

He said they were “shocked” after the European Union’s Court of Justice last month ruled that Turkish trucks transporting goods in EU member states did not have to pay tax.

In a recent meeting, Undersecretary for Hungary’s Ministry for Foreign and Economic Affairs Levente Magyar vowed to provide enough documents until the end of the year, according to Sener.

He added, “A permanent, smooth transport relationship should be established between Turkey and Hungary in accordance with the decision European Court of Justice”.

Last month’s decision from the court came after the Hungarian tax authorities ordered Istanbul Lojistik -- a Turkish haulage company -- to pay tax in March 2015.

The company rejected the demand, claiming EU member states were barred from imposing taxes on vehicles registered in Turkey as part of a Turkish-EU customs union deal.