Newsletters
Türkiye's Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu met with Chinese Transport Minister Liu Wei in Beijing to discuss expanding cooperation across all transportation modes, with both countries appointing dedicated coordinators to advance future collaboration.
The meeting took place during Uraloglu's May 20-23 visit to China, which included stops in Beijing, Xian, and Shenzhen to explore transportation and technology partnerships between the two nations.
During the Beijing talks, Uraloglu emphasized Türkiye's strategic position as the starting point of the historic Silk Road and gateway to Europe, highlighting the country's role as a crucial transit point between East and West, North and South.
"Türkiye aims to be the transportation bridge between Asia and Europe through the Middle Corridor Initiative," Uraloglu stated, noting that railway and cargo transportation cooperation between the two countries could be further developed in this context.
The Turkish minister stressed that Türkiye has maintained stability despite conflicts and crises in the region, making it an attractive partner for enhanced transportation cooperation.
Uraloglu highlighted recent progress in aviation cooperation, noting that flight frequencies between the two countries were recently increased from 21 to 49 through a newly signed protocol.
He also expressed Türkiye's readiness to finalize a maritime cooperation protocol proposed by the Chinese side.
Chinese Minister Liu Wei expressed satisfaction with the productive transportation cooperation between the countries in recent years. He noted that Chinese carriers have been using Türkiye as a transit route through the China-Europe and Trans-Caspian Railway Express, as well as road connections.
Liu emphasized that critical export products, including lithium-ion batteries, are being transported through these routes.
He called for signing a cooperation protocol on green transportation in the near future and involving key ports and shipping companies from both countries in this initiative.
"An international consensus has emerged on green transportation transformation in recent years, with both China and Türkiye taking active initiatives in this area," Liu said.
The most significant outcome of the meeting was the appointment of dedicated officials from each ministry to coordinate and conduct further technical-level contacts. This mechanism will enable both ministries to quickly fulfill their responsibilities in developing bilateral relations.
Uraloglu explained that this will allow problems to be discussed and resolved at the technical level in the next phase of cooperation.
During his visit to Shenzhen, Uraloglu met with two major global companies that have significant investments in Türkiye. These firms have made serious progress in various technology fields, including autonomous driving systems, beyond GSM infrastructure.
"We want these companies to consider Türkiye not only as a market but also from a production perspective," Uraloglu said, noting that they proposed establishing certain production facilities and R&D centers in Türkiye. One company has already established such a center with work continuing on expansion.
1 min read
The ministers addressed cooperation across all four transportation modes—road, rail, air, and maritime. Uraloglu acknowledged progress made but emphasized it remains insufficient given the size of both countries.
"Considering the size of both our country and China, these are not sufficient. Therefore, we discussed with our delegations how we can develop this transportation and trade," Uraloglu said.
The Turkish delegation included private sector representatives working in railway operations, whom officials connected with their Chinese counterparts to facilitate direct business relationships.
2 min read
