Istanbul: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced plans to leverage Turkey’s geopolitical position through the “Development Road” project, which aims to connect Iraq to Turkey and extend to Europe. Speaking at the Global Transport Corridors Forum at the Istanbul Congress Center, Erdogan highlighted the project’s potential to transform regional economic dynamics.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, Erdogan expressed his hopes that the forum would facilitate discussions on cross-border cooperation, digital transformation, infrastructure investments, and transit transport harmonization. He underscored the forum’s role in demonstrating Turkey’s leadership in transportation on a global scale.
Erdogan detailed that the “Development Road” project is projected to influence production exceeding $50 billion over the next decade and create approximately 63,000 jobs annually. The route, spanning 1,200 kilometers within Iraq, will serve as a critical link for transporting goods between Europe and the Gulf
states.
Acknowledging the strategic importance of safe transport corridors, Erdogan remarked on the growing significance of logistics lines amid Middle Eastern tensions and uncertainties in the Strait of Hormuz. He attributed Turkey’s substantial investments in transportation and communications infrastructure over the past 22 years as a response to these challenges.
Erdogan outlined the financial commitments made under his government, which total nearly $300 billion across various transportation sectors, including highways, railways, airlines, maritime transport, and communications infrastructure. These investments have reportedly boosted production to $1.65 trillion, enhancing employment and benefiting industries such as exports, tourism, and logistics.
He also addressed the “Middle Corridor,” a railway network that links Europe and Asia through Turkey, predicting a trade volume of $75 billion. Highlighting the corridor’s efficiency, Erdogan noted its speed compared to maritime routes and cost-effectivene
ss relative to air transportation.
The Middle Corridor, part of a broader initiative to revive the Silk Road, traverses 21 countries and connects China to Europe. Erdogan emphasized its alignment with the Belt and Road Initiative, presenting it as an alternative to the Northern Corridor via Russia and other routes through Iran and the Suez Canal.
The corridor’s total length is 4,256 kilometers, including both road and rail, with an additional 508 kilometers by sea, offering a strategic trade route between China and Europe.