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Türkiye anticipates a $55 billion economic contribution over 10 years from the Development Road—a planned trade corridor linking Iraq’s Gulf ports to Europe via Türkiye—with preparations in place to begin construction swiftly once regional tensions subside, the Transport Minister said.
Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu stated that Türkiye, Iraq, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates have already agreed on the project framework and a $17 billion financing model, leaving only final funding arrangements before implementation can begin.
Türkiye has already completed significant portions of its domestic segment of the Development Road and is prepared to proceed once financing is secured, he reckoned.
Uraloglu linked the urgency of the project to ongoing instability affecting global energy routes, pointing to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran conflict as a recent example.
"If the Development Road had been completed, the world would have been much less affected in terms of energy supply," he said.
The minister added that Türkiye’s geographic position places it at the center of trade flows connecting Europe, the Far East, and Africa, with logistics routes increasingly passing through the country.
The Middle Corridor—stretching from the South Caucasus into Europe—already demonstrates the potential of overland transport, he stressed, noting that cargo departing from China can reach London by rail in 18 days.
He described both the Middle Corridor and the Development Road as critical alternatives during periods of crisis, including pandemics, economic disruptions, and conflict.
Alongside the Development Road, Türkiye is advancing additional corridors to strengthen regional connectivity.
Uraloglu said work has begun on Türkiye’s side of the Zangezur Corridor, a proposed route linking Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenia, creating a direct land connection to Türkiye and Europe. Azerbaijan is also expected to start construction in Nakhchivan soon, he added.
He also revealed that Türkiye is developing a route connecting Oman to Türkiye via Jordan and Syria and plans to resume suspended rail services between Tehran and Istanbul, as well as Tehran and Van, following disruptions caused by the conflict.
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