Turkish-Owned Merchant Fleet Reaches 54.3 Million Deadweight Tonnes

ANKARA — The Turkish-owned merchant fleet of ships of at least 1,000 gross tonnes reached 2,262 vessels and 54.3 million deadweight tonnes on 1 July 2026, the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry announced on 7 October.

The ministry reported increases of 1.3% in vessel numbers and 4.7% in capacity compared with the end of 2025. The reference date for the fleet measurement is July, although the figures were announced in October.

Deadweight tonnage measures carrying capacity, including cargo and other loads. It is not the volume of goods actually transported during a year. Gross tonnage is a separate measure based on enclosed volume.

The figures describe Turkish ownership rather than only Turkish-flagged vessels. Ownership, flag registration and annual cargo throughput are different indicators and should not be used interchangeably when comparing maritime statistics.

Read the original Turkish report · Official source · Additional official source · Additional official source.

Photo: Barrett Ward / Unsplash. Illustrative cargo-container photograph.