The planned mega infrastructure project linking the south of Iraq with Türkiye and into Europe is emerging as a key alternative transportation route amid tensions in the Middle East, a top Turkish official said Thursday.
"Due to the wars and tensions in the Middle East, there have been serious problems on transportation routes. At this point, the Development Road emerges as a serious alternative," Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said.
"We have agreed to implement the railway in the first stage of the Development Road, and in the future, we are also considering bringing the highway into operation," the minister told Anadolu Agency (AA).
The multinational Development Road project is seen as a strategic trade corridor that will stretch about 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) from Iraq’s Grand Faw Port through Türkiye and into Europe.
Emphasizing that Türkiye is an island of stability when looking at both the Russia-Ukraine war and the wars in the Middle East, Uraloğlu suggested that Türkiye is a country that stands by its word in difficult times, and a country that is needed for, which he said is very valuable.
