Turkey is one of the best places for Iranian businesses to source products: it is close, the quality is strong, and there is a direct land border. But if this is your first time, the process can feel confusing. Where do you find real suppliers? How does payment work? How does the cargo reach Iran? This guide walks you through every step, in simple language, based on our daily work as a sourcing office in Istanbul.
Turkey is a major manufacturing country — machinery, packaging equipment, spare parts, raw materials, food products and much more. For Iranian buyers, it has three special advantages: it is geographically close (a truck can drive from Istanbul to Iran), Turkish factories are often more flexible than European ones, and prices are competitive. This is why thousands of Iranian companies already buy from Turkey every year. If you are not sure what to buy, see our guide on the most profitable products to import from Turkey.
Before you contact any supplier, write down exactly what you need: technical specifications, quantity, quality level, and your target price. A clear request gets serious answers; a vague request gets ignored. Our pre-import checklist shows you the 7 points to prepare.
This is where most problems start. Anyone can build a nice website — that does not make them a real factory. Before you send any money, check the company's registration, visit the factory (or have someone visit for you), and ask for references. We wrote a full guide on how to vet a Turkish supplier. A sourcing office in Turkey can do this verification for you on the ground.
Ask for detailed quotes from at least two or three suppliers. Make sure every quote states the delivery term (EXW, FOB, CPT — see our trade terms glossary if these are new to you), production time, and what is included. Negotiation in Turkey is normal and expected — but it works much better face-to-face or through someone who speaks Turkish.
Because of banking restrictions, Iranian buyers cannot simply send an international bank transfer to a Turkish company. This stops many first-time importers. The practical solution is to work with a registered company inside Turkey that settles with the supplier locally — so you deal with one trusted party and skip the international banking problem completely. This is exactly the role a sourcing office plays.
The most common route is by truck, crossing at the Bazargan or Razi border gates — usually one to two weeks from Istanbul to Tehran. Sea freight from Mersin to Bandar Abbas works for very large cargo, and air freight for urgent, light shipments. Costs depend on weight, volume, and whether you book a full or shared truck.
Prepare the documents early: commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, and transport documents. Mistakes in paperwork are the number-one cause of delays at the border. Our guide to customs clearance from Turkey explains the process and the documents in detail.
You can do all of this alone — many importers do. But if you do not speak Turkish, cannot travel easily, or want to reduce risk on a large order, a sourcing office in Turkey acts as your local team: finding and verifying suppliers, negotiating, checking goods before shipment, handling local settlement, and coordinating transport to Iran.
At Yedi Mavi we have been doing exactly this from Istanbul for 7 years, with 50+ verified suppliers and more than 1,000 completed transactions — and yes, our team speaks Persian, so you can explain your needs in your own language.
Tell us what you need — in English or Persian — and we will find it from verified Turkish manufacturers and handle the road to Iran.
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