More than 40,000 ships passed through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits in the first six months of 2026, according to data from the Turkish General Directorate of Maritime Affairs.
Total transits through the Bosporus and Dardanelles from January to June 2026
Of these, 19,277 vessels transited the Bosporus Strait and 20,941 passed through the Dardanelles Strait.
The total gross tonnage of ships traversing the two straits reached 767.5 million gross tons, with 301.5 million gross tons in the Bosporus and 466 million gross tons in the Dardanelles.
General cargo vessels accounted for 13,127 transits, bulk cargo vessels for 7,777, and container ships for 5,188. Additionally, 604 ships transported live animals, 258 carried vehicles, and 87 transported cement.
During the same period last year, 40,988 ships passed through the straits, with 19,381 transits in the Bosporus and 21,607 in the Dardanelles.
A total of 24,260 ships received pilotage services in the Bosporus and Dardanelles during the first half of 2026.
The Turkish straits maintained their strategic importance despite intensified drone attacks in the Black Sea linked to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
Turkish straits continued to provide passage for tens of thousands of international ships.
The statistics on ship transits were provided by the Turkish General Directorate of Maritime Affairs.
