Trade with the Caucasus: Georgia and Azerbaijan Corridor
The Caucasus is Turkey's natural gateway east — daily TIR flow from Sarp border, BTK railway starting from Kars, and Organization of Turkic States ties make it the closest international market.
The Caucasus region has the distinction of being Turkey's closest international market. Georgia is reachable by road in 1-2 days via the Sarp border gate; Azerbaijan in 5-7 days via the BTK (Baku-Tbilisi-Kars) railway. Toko has over 20 years of operational experience in the region; we can deliver to every city in the Caucasus through our daily TIR services, container intermodal and air cargo services.
The 2008 Free Trade Agreement between Georgia and Turkey largely zeroes out customs duties on industrial products. With Azerbaijan, preferential trade conditions apply within the Turkic World Alliance (TDA) framework. Double taxation avoidance agreements are in force with both countries. Turkish investments are of significant scale in the region — 4,000+ Turkish firms active in Azerbaijan, and Turkish capital weight is high in Georgia's tourism and construction sectors.
The Caucasus is the bridge between Central Asia and Turkey. The Middle Corridor — reaching Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and beyond via BTK railway and Baku-Aktau ferry — passes through this region. The logistics infrastructure here is critical both for intra-Caucasus trade and for transit to more distant markets. Toko provides end-to-end solutions in the region with bonded warehouse services in Baku and Poti, Turkish-speaking local team, and Russian business documentation.
Sectors Where We Excel in the Region
Construction & Real Estate
Mega residential projects in Baku, luxury hotel investments in Tbilisi — Turkish contractors hold dominant position. Strong demand for construction materials, ceramics, door-window and furniture.
Energy & Petrochemicals
Turkish firms are strong in equipment, valves, piping and engineering services for Azerbaijan's oil/gas sector. The SOCAR-Turkey relationship provides strategic partnership ground in the region.
Food & Beverage
Turkish food brands are widespread in Georgia and Azerbaijan supermarkets — Ülker, Torku, Eti, Sütaş, Namet. Local supermarket chains (Ali & Nino, Fresco, Bravo) work with Turkish suppliers.
Tourism & Hospitality
Turkish investor hotels in Batumi, growing tour market in Baku — we supply the tourism sector with hotel equipment, kitchen systems and textiles.
Countries in the region
Ways to Reach the Region
Sarp Border Gate — Turkey/Georgia
Istanbul-Trabzon-Sarp-Tbilisi route. The most heavily used border gate from Turkey to the Caucasus. Open 24 hours, hundreds of TIRs pass daily. Our daily LTL loads depart from Trabzon.
BTK — Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway
Opened in 2017, BTK provides uninterrupted rail connection from Kars to Baku. Economical for container, bulk cargo and automobile shipments. Can continue to Central Asia via Caspian crossing from Baku.
Black Sea — Trabzon/Samsun → Batumi/Poti
RoRo and container services from Trabzon or Samsun ports to Batumi (Georgia) and Poti. Economical for large cargo volumes compared to road.
What You Need to Know Before Entering
Turkish Language Advantage
Turkish is a close relative of the local language in Azerbaijan — the vast majority of business people can speak Turkish. The Turkish community in Georgia, with 200,000+ population, is influential in business. This provides great speed advantage in contract negotiations, technical meetings and field visits.
Batumi Free Economic Zone
The free economic zone in Batumi, Georgia, open to Turkish investors, offers tax advantages and simplified customs procedures. Stock can be held in the zone and distributed to Black Sea region countries. In Batumi, we operate through both local partners and our own operational presence.
Azerbaijan Tender System
Large-scale procurement tenders opened by SOCAR, Azerbaijan Investment Company and government institutions are important opportunities for Turkish firms. Some procedures exist to become a registered supplier — we register our clients in the tender system and support bid preparation.
Payment & Banking
In Azerbaijan, the manat is stable against USD; trade via USD/EUR is smooth. In Georgia, use of EUR/USD/GEL is free and the banking system is close to European standards. Turkish banks (Ziraat, İş Bankası, VakıfBank) operate extensive correspondent networks with both countries. We offer L/C, T/T and advance payment combinations, providing risk mitigation recommendations for first orders.
Regulatory Framework
Georgia and Turkey signed a Free Trade Agreement in 2008 — duties on industrial products are zeroed, preferential tariffs apply for agricultural products. With Azerbaijan, preferential trade conditions exist within the TDA (Turkic World Alliance) framework; various sectoral bilateral agreements (investment protection, double taxation, customs cooperation) are also in force. In both countries, tariff advantage is provided with Turkish certificate of origin (EUR.1 or A.TR). Toko calculates and notifies the required documents and tariff rates per product in advance.