Iraq Logistics and Transport Services

Road Transport to Iraq

Iraq continues to be one of Türkiye’s most important export markets. Rapid urbanisation and infrastructure investment, particularly in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), keep demand alive across a wide range of products, led by construction materials. As Çevikoğlu Logistics, we run regular TIR services to Iraq by leveraging the strategic location of our İskenderun base in the Eastern Mediterranean, offering comprehensive transport services to Erbil, Baghdad, Mosul, Basra and Sulaymaniyah.

The Habur border gate, the sole crossing point for Türkiye–Iraq road transport, is located in the Silopi district of Şırnak province. Known for its heavy traffic, procedures at this gate are carried out according to international transport standards. After the journey from İskenderun to Habur via the Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa route, procedures at Iraqi customs are completed and the Erbil and Baghdad routes are entered. Depending on the destination, transit time varies between 2 and 4 days.

The Regions We Serve in Iraq

Erbil, the centre of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, is the city with the heaviest TIR traffic arriving from Türkiye; modern infrastructure investment and its trade-centre status make Erbil one of the most important logistics points in the region. The capital Baghdad is reached via the Habur–Mosul–Kirkuk route; the city’s large population and reconstruction process keep demand for food, consumer goods and building materials high. Mosul, the historic city of northern Iraq, is an important distribution hub together with its surrounding provinces. In the south, the port city of Basra stands out in equipment and general cargo transport for the oil sector. Sulaymaniyah, as the region’s second-largest trade centre, regularly receives cargo.

The Strategic Role of İskenderun Port

İskenderun, where Çevikoğlu Logistics is headquartered, serves as a critical cargo base for loads bound for Iraq. Container and bulk cargo arriving by sea via İskenderun Port can be picked up from the port and routed by road to Habur. This intermodal combination provides a cost advantage, especially for large volumes. Our company, operating in the region for many years, effectively manages port-customs-road transport integration.

The Main Cargo Groups We Carry

On the Iraq route we most often carry construction materials (iron-steel, cement, ceramics, aluminium profiles, pipes, roofing), food products (flour, sugar, dried pulses, vegetable oil, confectionery), textiles and ready-to-wear, and consumer electronics. In a reconstructing Iraq, iron and steel products are in particularly high demand. With our refrigerated vehicles, fresh fruit and vegetables and food products requiring a cold chain are also delivered safely to Erbil and Baghdad. Thanks to our comprehensive vehicle fleet, we provide equipment suited to different cargo types, from curtain-side trailers to lowbeds.

Full and Partial Solutions

For large-volume shipments to Iraq, full truckload (FTL) vehicle allocation is the most common choice; in this option the cargo reaches the destination address without transfer after passing through Habur, minimising transit time. Medium and small-volume shipments are consolidated under our partial (LTL) consolidation plan; groupage loads for Erbil, Baghdad and Sulaymaniyah are planned according to weekly departure schedules. In both solutions our vehicle tracking system is active and the cargo location is monitored in real time.

Customs and Documentation Support

The Habur border gate is one of the busiest customs gates in Türkiye’s road transport. Different procedures apply on both the Turkish and Iraqi sides at this gate. In our transports, the CMR consignment note, Iraqi customs declaration, invoice, packing list and certificate of origin form the basic document group. For KRI crossings, the separate procedures of the Kurdistan Region customs administration are also observed. Our contracted customs brokers complete all document preparation before loading; the necessary pre-declarations are made on time to minimise waiting at the Habur gate.

Delivery Time and Service Frequency on the Iraq Route

The average transit time from our İskenderun base to Erbil is 2–3 days; for distant points such as Baghdad and Basra this can extend to 3–4 days. Congestion at the Habur border gate can occasionally cause waiting; we plan by anticipating this possibility and report realistic delivery dates. Thanks to our regular weekly services, full loads depart without waiting. A priority service option is offered for urgent or time-critical shipments.

Why Çevikoğlu Logistics?

İskenderun’s geographical proximity to the Iraq route directly increases our operational efficiency; we have a large vehicle and driver capacity on the Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa route. Thanks to our broker team well-versed in the customs procedures at the Habur gate, border processes are completed quickly. Every shipment is CMR-insured; with our vehicle tracking system and operations team we manage your cargo transparently from departure to delivery. Our network of reliable business partners in Iraq facilitates last-mile distribution coordination, especially in Erbil and Baghdad.