Around 2.4 million vehicles https://www.bta.bg/en/news/306791?download=1 and 4,000,000 people cross annually the border in Kapıkule, which makes 35% of all the vehicle and 42% of all the passenger traffic passing through the land borders of Turkey. To meet the demand resulting from growing international crossings, the
Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) signed an agreement with the government in August 2007 to completely overhaul the facilities on
Build-Operate-Transfer basis at a cost of 132 million
TRL (US$100 million in 2007) in exchange for twenty-year operation. The border is famous as a crossing point for Turkish “gurbetçi", or expatriates, traveling back to Turkey from Europe. During the "“gurbetçi season" of 2025 alone, 22 June through 7 September 2025, a period of only 11 weeks, there were 604,202 vehicles crossing the border, and 2.5 million people. The checkpoint reopened in the beginning of 2009 with thirteen passenger car and five truck gates for inbound, and seven passenger car and six truck gates for outbound traffic.
High tech security equipment like
smart-card controlled access,
closed-circuit television and
X-ray truck cargo check systems are installed at the border area. Commercial services are provided by
fast-food restaurants,
duty-free shops,
outlet stores,
supermarkets and banks. The group of 24 buildings, which house various service facilities, cover on the wide checkpoint area. == Incidents ==