Turkey is pressing Iran for clearance to allow 11 of its vessels to pass through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, as tensions in the region continue to disrupt global trade and energy supplies.
Speaking in Ankara on Wednesday, Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said 14 Turkish-owned ships remain in the strait. Three are engaged in ongoing operations, including power generation, and are not seeking to depart, while negotiations continue for the remaining vessels. Turkish authorities, he added, are maintaining close contact with crews on board.
Roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas flows through the narrow waterway, now effectively choked since war erupted on 28 February. Iran’s restrictions have squeezed not only energy shipments but also the movement of key goods such as fertiliser and metals.
So far, just one Turkish vessel has been granted passage since the conflict began, reportedly because it had previously docked at an Iranian port.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned that the situation risks spiralling beyond control. Addressing parliament, he said the growing pattern of retaliatory strikes on energy, transport and civilian infrastructure is fuelling the danger of a wider regional conflict.
The market impact has been swift and severe. Brent crude has surged by around 42 per cent since the outbreak of fighting, though prices remain volatile amid uncertainty over how and when the conflict might end. They edged lower on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump suggested Washington could withdraw from the conflict within two to three weeks.