9,195 Ships Passed Through the Istanbul Strait in the First Quarter
Heavy maritime traffic was recorded in the Istanbul Strait during the first three months of 2026. According to data released by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, a total of 9,195 ships transited the Strait between January and March.
This means an average of 102 ships used the Istanbul Strait daily.
According to the first-quarter data, general cargo and bulk carriers accounted for the largest share of traffic in the Strait. Of the ships passing through, 3,277 were general cargo vessels, while 1,833 were bulk carriers. During the same period, 984 container ships, 451 chemical tankers, 207 LPG tankers, 77 passenger ships, and 53 Ro-Ro vessels also used the Istanbul Strait. In addition, warships, tugboats, and many other types of vessels carried out transit passages.
The data also revealed that a significant portion of the ships passing through the Strait received pilotage services. In the first quarter, a total of 5,792 ships transited with pilot captains onboard.
In terms of vessel sizes, ships between 100 and 150 meters in length constituted the busiest category. No ship exceeding 300 meters in length passed through the Strait during the first quarter.
The total cargo volume of ships transiting the Istanbul Strait was calculated at 135 million 182 thousand 851 gross tons. The busiest period was recorded in January, while heavy traffic also continued throughout March.
Meanwhile, a slight decline was observed in ship transits compared to the same period last year. While 9,351 ships passed through the Strait in the first three months of 2025, the figure stood at 9,195 during the same period of 2026.
As one of the world’s most critical maritime transit routes, the Istanbul Strait continues to maintain its strategic importance with its intense transit cargo and vessel traffic.
