DIGITAL transformation challenges and opportunities as well as the potential of the Middle Corridor trade route were key themes at the recent Türkiye Logistics Summit 2025 in Istanbul.
The summit brought together leading figures from both government and industry, including Türkiye’s deputy ministers of Transport and Infrastructure Durmuş Ünüvar and Osman Boyraz.
There were also key logistics companies, technology providers, academics and media, keen to learn more about Turkiye’s ambition to grow its logistics sector into a US$200bn market. KTL Australia was the brand sponsor.
Topics included digital transformation, sustainability, AI-driven logistics, supply chain security, intermodal transport and the increasing importance of e-commerce logistics.
Leadership, gender inclusion, and innovation also stood out.
Chief executive of KTL Australia (brand sponsor of the event), Matt Eryurek, said global trade was undergoing “a quiet revolution”. While technology for seamless cross-border logistics already existed, progress depended upon aligning “data, policy and trust”.
Mr Eryurek said Australia faced integration challenges with 32 agencies and more than 145 government and information and communications technology systems.
Key initiatives such as the National Freight Data Hub and the Maritime Single Window were signs of progress.
“Technology isn’t the problem, trust and incentives are,” Mr Eryurek said, with the message paperless trade failed when companies feared losing control of sensitive data.
Mr Eryurek described AI as the “near-term game changer” for documentation and customs risk checks, while real-time tracking and blockchain could add value.
“Neutral data infrastructure” was required along the Middle Corridor along with modern customs systems that aligned with European and Central Asian standards.
“The bridge between Asia and Europe isn’t just physical it’s digital,” he said, adding that shared standards and neutral governance were key to making the system work.
A key message was the trend toward accelerated digital transformation.
“We expect significant advancements in AI-enabled logistics, the expansion of digital documentation systems, and progress in major geopolitical trade corridors like the Middle Corridor and Development Road project,” Mr Eryurek said.
The logistic sector was also readying for increased e-commerce and greener operations.
Overall, 2026 was predicted to be a year of “scaling up” both technological capacity and strategic international partnerships.
The summit discussed Turkiye’s advantageous strategic position at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East, granting access to 67 countries and 1.5 billion consumers within a four-hour flight radius.
Founded by Cemal Kınay in Istanbul more than 75 years ago, KTL Kinay has grown from a family-run maritime enterprise into one of Türkiye’s most established logistics groups.
KTL Australia, part of the Kinay group since 2018, is a significant player in the Türkiye–Australia trade lane and attended the summit to reinforce its long-term commitment to logistics providers across Türkiye and the wider region.
Among those at the event were UTIKAD (Turkish Forwarding and Logistics Association) president Bilgehan Engin, Turkish Airlines cargo marketing president Selçuk Gençaslan, IMEAK Chamber of Shipping president Tamer Kıran, TİM Logistics Council chair Başaran Bayrak, FIATA leaders Turgut Erkeskin and former president Ivan Petrov, as well as Barış Dillioğlu, chair of the DEİK Logistics Business Council and UTIKAD deputy chair.
International Civil Aviation Organisation President Juan Carlos Salazar contributed via video message.