Which road border crossings connect Turkey and Iran?

Which provinces are the gates in, and what are their Iranian counterparts?

The Turkey–Iran border runs along the eastern Turkish provinces of Ağrı, Iğdır, Van and Hakkari. For commercial truck traffic, three gates stand out:

At its opening in 2017, the Turkish Ministry of Trade described Esendere as the third major gate to Iran after Gürbulak and Kapıköy. According to the ministry, more than 90% of Hakkari's exports go through this gate under the border trade scheme. Gürbulak's capacity and role are explained in detail in the Gürbulak–Bazargan border crossing entry.

Why are Borualan and Sarısu mentioned separately?

According to a July 2026 report in the Turkish business daily Dünya, the International Transporters' Association (UND) called on Iran to invest in the Borualan, Sarısu and Kapıköy gates, alongside Gürbulak, to ease the build-up at Gürbulak. The Turkish Ministry of Trade also announced at the Joint Economic Commission meeting in January 2025 that the Sarısu Border Trade Centre had been completed on the Turkish side.

In industry discussions, these two gates come up as alternative capacity to Gürbulak. Which customs regime a gate is open to matters as well: border trade is a limited form of trade defined only by regional legislation, and it is not the same as general exports or international transit. Before planning a loading through a smaller gate, the current status should therefore be confirmed with the customs office concerned.

Is Dilucu a gate to Iran?

No. The Dilucu–Sadarak crossing in Iğdır connects Turkey with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, which belongs to Azerbaijan. Because some international bulletins list it together with the other gates in the region, it can be mistaken for an Iranian gate. In IRU's August 2026 site visit, Dilucu was also treated as a Turkey–Azerbaijan crossing. Cargo going to Iran via Nakhchivan must additionally cross the Nakhchivan–Iran border.

Are the gates always open?

The status of the gates can change from one period to the next. IRU's Flash Info bulletin of 2 March 2026 is a recent example:

• Gürbulak: Open in both directions, but passport procedures on the Iranian side were being handled manually and slowly because of a technical problem.
• Esendere: A partial restriction applied; only Iranian-registered vehicles could enter Iran, and Turkish vehicles were temporarily stopped from leaving towards Iran. IRU announced the next day that the gate had reopened in both directions.
• Overall situation: According to the bulletin, there were no land border closures in the region and customs offices in Iran remained open to foreign carriers.

This example shows that a gate cannot be chosen just by looking at a map. On the same day, one gate may be working at full capacity while a plate-based restriction applies at a neighbouring gate. For up-to-date information, IRU bulletins and customs administration announcements should be followed.

How is the gate chosen?

• The delivery point in Iran and the main road connection leading to it,
• whether the gate is open to commercial trucks and to the customs regime concerned (export, transit, border trade),
• current traffic at the gate and processing capacity on both sides,
• for ADR or out-of-gauge cargo, whether the gate infrastructure and permits are suitable.

A general list of Turkey's land gates to all neighbouring countries is given in the Turkey's road border crossings entry. The types of shipment handled on the Iran lane are summarised on the Turkey–Iran road freight page.

Published: 17.10.2026 · Voltim Global