Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu commented on the initiative to create an international transportation and logistics system, stating that the realization of the "Development Plan" project will ensure smooth and fast transportation links between Europe and Asia through Turkish territory.
"Thanks to the 'Development Plan' project, we will provide uninterrupted access to every country in Europe by road and rail from the port of Fao (Iraq) to London," the minister's remarks were quoted by TRT TV channel. He highlighted that the time saved between delivering cargo to Europe through the Suez Canal and overland highways will be approximately 15 days. "The project, which will connect the port of Fao to Turkey and from there to Europe by rail and highway, will open a new gateway to regional and global trade," the Turkish minister said.
Turkey, Iraq, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a memorandum of understanding on April 22 in Baghdad to implement the "Development Plan" project. The signing ceremony was held during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's first visit to Iraq in 12 years.
At the end of May 2023, Iraqi authorities announced the launch of an initiative that could significantly facilitate the exchange of goods between Asia and Europe. According to the plans, major transportation routes will be linked to the port of Fao. Within the framework of the "Development Plan," more than 1,200 km of railroads will be modernized and built, interfaced with expressways connecting Iraq with neighboring countries. The estimated cost of the project is about $17 billion.
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Based on materials from TASS