“GEGHARD”
SCIENTIFIC ANALYTICAL
FOUNDATION
2025
2025
Geghard Scientific Analytical Foundation had a conversation with Ehsan Movahedian, a researcher-analyst at Tehran's Allameh Tabatabai University, about the fuel crisis created by Turkey and Azerbaijan for Iranian trucks and the transport corridor projects of these countries.
According to Movahedian, “in Iran’s fight against fuel smuggling, Turkey has created problems, and Azerbaijan has joined in. Azerbaijan, in cooperation with Turkey, has closed the Nakhijevan-Iran border crossing, preventing Iranian trucks from using the Nakhijevan transit route. Iran enforces the Bak-e Pur (Full Tank) law, aimed at preventing fuel smuggling through Turkish trucks.
In response, Turkey has imposed a 115% special consumption tax that Iranian trucks must pay, while Azerbaijan has closed the Astara (Iran-Azerbaijan) and Poldasht (Iran-Nakhijevan) border crossings for Iranian trucks. Fuel smuggling has a long history; over the past 50-60 years, Turkish trucks heading through Iran to Azerbaijan, and now also to Turkmenistan, have been purchasing cheap, subsidized fuel in Iran and selling the surplus fuel through smuggling.
Now, under the Bak-e Pur law, the Iranian government requires that every Turkish truck leaving Iran’s borders pay an amount equivalent to a full tank of fuel based on international fuel prices. With this step, Iran’s Ministry of Oil aims to prevent smuggling. In response, Turkey’s president has decided to impose a customs duty equivalent to 27 liters of fuel for every liter purchased by Iranian trucks, which amounts to approximately $600.
This is a significant price for Iranian truck drivers, making it unprofitable to enter Turkish territory, where fuel is much more expensive than in Iran. The objective of these actions is, of course, to create obstacles for Iran, preventing Iranian trucks from passing through Azerbaijan and Turkey to reach Europe. These developments also highlight the vital importance for Iran of securing transport links to Europe through Armenia and Georgia.
It should be noted that although the problems is with Turkey, Aliyev has directly intervened in these developments by closing the border crossings with Iran to prevent Iranian trucks from using Azerbaijani roads. This indicates that there is an agreement between Turkey and Azerbaijan to create economic problems for Iran in order to advance their geopolitical plans, particularly by pressuring Iran to agree to the false “Zangezur Corridor” project, which Iran opposes.
It is important to emphasize that the Iranian government and people are united in supporting the rights of Iranian truck drivers in this issue. Negotiations are currently underway, and until a final resolution is reached, it is planned to provide Iranian trucks entering Turkey with 800 liters of subsidized diesel fuel and 1,400 liters to those traveling through Turkey to other countries. This will temporarily neutralize the difficulties created by Azerbaijan and Turkey for Iranian trucks. It is worth noting that Iranians, including those from Azerbaijan (Atrpatakan) province, are supporting Iranian drivers who face various pressures in Turkish territory by refusing to sell fuel to Turkish trucks.
This also demonstrates to Iranians the emptiness of the claims made by Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Pan-Turkists that “Iran’s border with Armenia holds no significant importance, as these two countries have created the most favorable transit conditions for Iran to establish transport connections with Europe.” It is now clear to Iranians that this is, in fact, a revelation of Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s deeper objectives: controlling and managing regional routes, including Iran’s transport connections. This thesis is evident to the Iranian people. There is a wise Iranian saying that “The enemy reveals itself through its own actions.”
It is also important to note that these developments are in the context of Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s joint plans for regional transport hubs and transit routes. Specifically, these include gas transportation from Qatar through Turkey to Europe, the Iraqi Al-Faw port-Turkey-Europe route, and Central Asia-Caspian Sea-South Caucasus road projects. The Iran-Armenia-Georgia transit route remains outside Turkey’s control, and its control may be achieved through the fabricated “Zangezur Corridor,” for which, I believe, they would not shy away from military aggression.”