Türkiye is entering a new era in licensed warehousing, which has become a critical component of the country's grain trade and food security infrastructure. Two new regulations published by the Ministry of Trade in the Official Gazette on 14 August 2026 redefine requirements concerning capacity, capital, facility infrastructure and establishment permits for warehouses handling grains, pulses and oilseeds. The new framework is expected to encourage financially stronger, higher-standard and more sustainable licensed warehouse operators.
The investment and operating conditions of Türkiye's licensed warehousing sector, which has expanded rapidly in recent years to become a key component of the agricultural commodity market, are being reshaped. Two communiqués prepared by the Ministry of Trade — the "Communiqué Amending the Licensed Warehouse Regulation for Grains, Pulses and Oilseeds" and the "Communiqué Amending the Regulation on Granting Establishment Permits to Licensed Warehouse Operators" — were published in the Official Gazette No. 33340 dated 14 August 2026 and entered into force.
The new regulations are particularly significant for the grain, pulses and oilseeds sectors. Licensed warehouses not only enable farmers to store their crops under appropriate conditions rather than having to sell immediately during harvest, but also play a critical role in providing flour, pasta and feed manufacturers with access to reliable and standardized raw materials.
Electronic Warehouse Receipts (ELÜS), issued against commodities delivered to licensed warehouses, allow agricultural products to be traded on the Turkish Mercantile Exchange (TÜRİB) and used as collateral in financing transactions.
35,000-ton threshold for warehouses
One of the most notable changes concerns storage capacity. Under the new framework, each warehouse located at the headquarters or branches of licensed warehouse operators handling grains, pulses and oilseeds is required to have a minimum capacity of 35,000 tons.
The measure represents an important step toward encouraging larger-scale and economically sustainable facilities in new investments.
New standards have also been introduced for technical infrastructure. Except for paddy rice, newly established facilities handling grain products will be required to use silo systems rather than horizontal warehouses. Operators handling grains, pulses and oilseeds will also be required to have at least 10 silos within their facility premises.
These changes are expected to establish higher operational standards, particularly by improving product segregation, enabling different qualities and grades of grain to be stored separately, and strengthening overall warehouse management.
Capital requirements significantly increased
Another major pillar of the new framework is strengthening the financial structure of licensed warehouse operators. Minimum paid-in capital requirements for businesses handling grains, pulses and oilseeds have been revised according to their licensed capacity.
Operators with capacities of up to 35,000 tons will be required to have minimum paid-in capital of TRY 20 million. The requirement rises to TRY 30 million for capacities between 35,001 and 70,000 tons and TRY 40 million for capacities between 70,001 and 110,000 tons.
For facilities exceeding 110,000 tons, an additional TRY 5 million in minimum capital will be required for every additional 30,000 tons of capacity.
Existing operators whose capital remains below the newly established thresholds have been given until 31 December 2028 to bring their capital structure into compliance. This transition period is intended to allow the sector to adapt to the new financial requirements without creating an abrupt burden on existing businesses.
Commercial and financial reliability gains importance
Under the new rules, establishment permits for licensed warehouses will increasingly depend not only on investment capacity and technical conditions, but also on the commercial and financial reliability of investors. Applications may be rejected if the Ministry determines that applicants fail to meet the required standards of commercial and financial credibility.
The licensed warehousing system already operates with a substantial financial guarantee mechanism. Under existing legislation, companies applying for an operating licence must provide collateral of no less than 15 percent of the market value of commodities corresponding to their licensed storage capacity, subject to the amount determined by the Ministry. Higher ratios may apply depending on ownership and mortgage conditions.
The combined emphasis on capital adequacy, collateral and commercial reliability indicates that licensed warehouses are increasingly being regarded not merely as storage facilities, but as part of the trust-based financial infrastructure of agricultural commodity markets.
Capacity expansion opportunity for existing operators
The communiqué also introduces important transitional provisions for existing licensed warehouse companies. Capacity expansion requests from businesses already licensed by the Ministry before the new regulation will be assessed under the establishment permit framework introduced on 11 March 2026.
Certain operators seeking to increase their storage capacity to 35,000 tons will be able to apply to the General Directorate of Domestic Trade within three months of the regulation entering into force. Businesses granted capacity expansion approval will be required to complete their operating licence procedures within two years.
In addition, certain operators that already have warehouses and facilities exceeding the capacity specified in their establishment permits may be granted a one-off capacity increase of up to 10,000 tons.
Türkiye's licensed warehouse capacity exceeds 14.2 million tons
The new regulations come at a time when Türkiye's licensed warehousing infrastructure is expanding rapidly. According to May 2026 data from the General Directorate of Domestic Trade under the Ministry of Trade, 262 licensed warehouse companies are operating 359 facilities across 53 provinces.
The country's active licensed storage capacity has reached approximately 14.2 million tons. In addition, 180 companies holding establishment permits represent a combined planned capacity of approximately 10.8 million tons.
The pace of expansion is also noteworthy. Türkiye's licensed warehouse capacity stood at approximately 8.3 million tons in 2021, rising to 8.9 million tons in 2022, 10.1 million tons in 2023, 12.2 million tons in 2024 and more than 14.2 million tons by the end of 2025.
The growth of licensed warehousing has also supported the development of Türkiye's electronic agricultural commodity market. According to the Ministry of Trade's May 2026 bulletin, total trading volume on TÜRİB has reached TRY 422.7 billion.
Strategic infrastructure for the grain industry
The expansion of licensed warehousing is strategically important for Türkiye's powerful flour, pasta, bulgur and feed industries. The system helps spread the heavy supply of agricultural commodities during harvest over a longer period, supports standardized grading and quality control, and enables industrial users to source raw materials through a registered and transparent market structure.
Against a backdrop of climate change, regional conflicts and trade policies that continue to create uncertainty in global grain markets, large-scale and modern storage infrastructure is increasingly regarded not simply as a commercial investment but as an important component of food supply security.
The regulations that entered into force on 14 August indicate that the next phase of Türkiye's licensed warehousing expansion will focus not only on "more capacity," but also on stronger capital structures, higher technical standards and more institutionalized operators.
Strengthening Türkiye's licensed storage infrastructure, which has already surpassed 14 million tons, under the new regulatory framework will be important for all stakeholders in agricultural commodity trade — from farmers and grain processors to investors and the financial sector.