Turkey to Russia shipping has a published sea service of its own. FESCO runs a line it calls FESCO Türkiye Black Sea, or FTBS, which connects Saint Petersburg with the Turkish ports of Ambarli and Gebze, with Mersin linked through partner feeders. That is a Baltic-side route, not the Vladivostok route used for Asian origins. This guide sets out what FESCO's page says, what TurkStat data show about the trade, how other governments' measures name Türkiye and why that matters to a booking, and what the EAEU Customs Code says about prohibitions and the language of customs documents. Treat it as background for a conversation with a broker, not as legal advice.
Short answer: FESCO's FTBS page lists Saint Petersburg, Ambarli and Gebze as ports of call, 15 days between Saint Petersburg and Ambarli, 16 days to Gebze, and transhipment to FESCO vessels at Ambarli. Whether your goods may move is a separate question that comes first.
How Big Is the Trade? What TurkStat Reported
The Daily Sabah, reporting TurkStat data on 30 January 2026, said China was Türkiye's top source of imports in 2025 at $49.57 billion, followed by Russia at $42.37 billion. Full-year 2025 exports rose 4.4% to $273.36 billion and imports rose 6.2% to $365.37 billion.
Russia's share of imports follows by division: 42.37 divided by 365.37 is about 0.116, or 11.6%. We did not retrieve a full-year 2025 figure for Turkish exports to Russia from TurkStat, so none is quoted. The import figure is a value, not a count of containers, and the source does not say how much of it moves on this container line.
The FTBS Service: What FESCO's Page Says
FESCO's FTBS page describes a regular marine cargo transportation service between Russia and Türkiye.
| Item | What the page says |
|---|---|
| Route heading | Saint Petersburg, Ambarli, Gebze, Saint Petersburg |
| Days on the way | Saint Petersburg to Ambarli 15; Saint Petersburg to Gebze 16; Ambarli to Gebze 1 |
| Mersin | Connected through feeder lines of the Group's partners |
| Transshipment | Cargo is transshipped to FESCO vessels at Ambarli |
| Cargo scope | General, dangerous, bulky, consolidated and fluid cargo |
| Refrigerated | From -25 to +25 degrees Celsius, handled by LLC Dalreftrans |
| Frequency | A regular schedule; no number of sailings is given |
| Files | A schedule dated 07.08.2026 and a tariff for Novorossiysk, Istanbul and Gebze dated 22.10.2026; the page does not say what the dates mean |
Reading the Day Counts
The table's day counts are headed "Days on the way", but the page does not say between which events they run. Taken as port-to-port figures, they fit together: 16 days to Gebze minus 15 days to Ambarli is 1 day, the same as the page's Ambarli to Gebze figure. They leave out everything either side of the sea leg: moving the box to the load port, the loading cut-off, discharge in Saint Petersburg and delivery inland from there. A quotation that promises a door-to-door time should say which of those steps it includes.
Three cautions follow. The page gives no vessel size or capacity for this line. The tariff file name mentions Novorossiysk, but the route heading does not, so do not assume a Black Sea call. And the Mersin link depends on partner feeders whose timing the page does not give, so a box from Mersin will take longer than the Ambarli figure. Ask for a dated schedule and for the feeder leg to be priced and timed in writing.
For the Russian ports, see St Petersburg port guide and Novorossiysk: Russia's Black Sea gateway.
How Other Governments Name Türkiye
Two sources show why a Turkish routing draws questions from outside Türkiye. We report them as the sources state them, without suggesting that any exporter has done anything wrong.
- European Union: Covington's summary of the 21st package, adopted on 23 July 2026, says Annex IV of Regulation 833/2014 was updated with entities in Russia and third countries, including Türkiye, the Kyrgyz Republic, China and Hong Kong.
- Taiwan: the Taipei Times of 8 February 2024 reported that the ministry had requested Taiwanese manufacturers exporting to countries such as Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, which are considered to have a high risk of reshipping the products, to agree not to redirect shipments to Russia and Belarus.
The practical consequence is that suppliers, banks and carriers outside Türkiye may ask a Turkish exporter or forwarder about end use and final destination. We have not covered Turkish export rules here. Expect questions, answer them accurately and keep the records. The screening steps themselves are described in sanctions and compliance in logistics to Russia.
Prohibitions, Restrictions and Documents in Russian
Two articles in the unofficial English translation of the EAEU Customs Code bear directly on a Turkey to Russia shipment. That translation predates later amendments, so have a Russian customs broker confirm what applies today.
- Article 7: goods are to be moved across the customs border of the Union in compliance with prohibitions and restrictions. Compliance with non-tariff regulatory measures, including measures imposed unilaterally, and technical regulation measures is confirmed by presenting documents or information in the cases the Commission or member state legislation establishes, and in compliance with export control measures. Compliance with sanitary, veterinary-sanitary and quarantine phytosanitary measures is confirmed from the results of the relevant controls.
- Article 8: customs documents are to be completed in the Russian language or in the official language of the member state whose customs authorities receive them, unless the Code provides otherwise.
The second point has a plain consequence for a Turkish supplier. Invoices, packing lists and certificates prepared in Turkish or English may need a Russian version when they are used as customs documents, so ask the consignee's broker which documents need translation and who pays for it.
A Worked Cost Comparison With Made-Up Numbers
All figures here are invented. A consignee compares two ways of moving one 40 ft container of goods from a Turkish factory near Gebze to Saint Petersburg.
| Line | Booking A: direct FTBS from Gebze | Booking B: truck to Mersin, feeder, then transhipment |
|---|---|---|
| Truck to port | USD 250 | USD 900 |
| Feeder leg | not applicable | USD 420 |
| Transhipment handling at Ambarli | USD 130 | USD 130 |
| Ocean freight | USD 1,900 | USD 1,900 |
| Total | USD 2,280 | USD 3,350 |
On these numbers Booking A costs USD 1,070 less, entirely because of the haul and the feeder. If the factory were near Mersin, the haul line would change sides. Price both options for identical pickup and delivery points before choosing; how to calculate the landed cost of imported goods sets out the method.
Booking Checklist
- Screen the goods, buyer, consignee and intermediaries, and keep the record, including end-use statements for any third-country buyer.
- Confirm which Turkish port the box loads at and whether it loads at Ambarli or Gebze or comes by feeder.
- Ask for the dated schedule and what the day counts measure.
- Confirm the Russian discharge port, and do not assume Novorossiysk because of a file name.
- Ask which documents need a Russian version and who prepares them.
- List the restrictions and certificates the goods may need under Article 7, with the consignee's broker.
- Agree free time and storage terms at both ports.
Work With RR Brothers and Logistics
RR Brothers and Logistics is a Guangzhou-headquartered NVOCC. Its sea freight page names Chinese gateways and lanes to India, Europe, the US and Canada, and neither Turkey nor Russia is listed, so no schedule or price for this lane appears above. Its customs clearance page covers HS-code classification, declarations and document checks. To see whether the firm can help, send the cargo, load port and consignee location; the answer will follow sanctions and export-control screening.
Frequently Asked Questions
FESCO's FTBS page describes a regular marine cargo service between Russia and Türkiye with the route heading Saint Petersburg, Ambarli, Gebze, Saint Petersburg. Confirm the dated schedule with the carrier.
The page lists "Days on the way" of 15 from Saint Petersburg to Ambarli, 16 to Gebze and 1 between Ambarli and Gebze. It does not describe them as commitments, and it gives no frequency.
FESCO says the service is connected with Mersin through feeder lines of the Group's partners and that cargo is transshipped to FESCO vessels at Ambarli. The page gives no timing for the feeder leg.
TurkStat data reported by the Daily Sabah put Türkiye's 2025 imports from Russia at $42.37 billion, second to China at $49.57 billion. We did not retrieve a full-year export figure.
Article 8 of the unofficial translation of the EAEU Customs Code says customs documents are completed in Russian or the official language of the member state concerned, unless the Code provides otherwise. Ask the consignee's broker which documents need translating.
Our sea freight page lists Chinese gateways and does not list Turkey or Russia. Send your cargo details and we will advise whether and how we can handle it.
Sources
- FESCO: Marine transportation from Türkiye to Russia (FTBS)
- Daily Sabah: Türkiye's foreign trade deficit expands by nearly 12% in 2025 (30 January 2026)
- Covington: EU adopts 21st package of Russia sanctions and extends Belarus sanctions (July 2026)
- Taipei Times: report on added machine-tool export restrictions for Russia and Belarus (8 February 2024)
- Treaty on the Customs Code of the Eurasian Economic Union (unofficial English translation)
This article is general information, not legal, tax or customs advice. Rules, rates and procedures change; confirm current requirements with the relevant authority or a licensed customs professional before you ship. The points above were taken from the pages listed under Sources, which include an operator page, a news report, a law-firm summary and an unofficial translation, read on 29 October 2026. They were not checked against official legal texts or the carrier schedule, so confirm current details with the carrier and the relevant authority.
Image credits: header photo by Haris Illahi on Unsplash; photo by Andy Li on Unsplash; photo by 雙 film on Unsplash. Used under the Unsplash License.
Request a Quote
