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Türkiye signed 12 new international transport agreements with countries including Morocco, Spain, Mauritania, Syria, Cambodia, Montenegro, Liberia, China, and Saudi Arabia during the Global Transport Corridors Forum held in Ankara from June 27 to 29.
The forum, hosted by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, marked the first time such a high-level international logistics event was organized in Türkiye. The gathering drew participation from 80 countries, including 38 ministers, 17 deputy ministers, and representatives from more than 30 global institutions.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the opening ceremony, which welcomed approximately 2,800 participants, while the total number of attendees over three days reached 3,500.
According to Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu, the forum resulted in the signing of 12 memoranda of understanding (MoUs). These included bilateral agreements between Türkiye and Morocco, Spain, Mauritania, Syria, Cambodia, Montenegro, and Liberia. A separate air transport deal was finalized between Montenegro and Saudi Arabia. Additionally, Turkish logistics firm Pasifik Eurasia reached a railway freight transport agreement with Chinese companies.
Uraloglu noted that Türkiye held bilateral meetings with ministers from 19 countries and maintained communication with all attending delegations. He also met with officials from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the World Bank.
A total of 24 expert panels were held during the event, supported by a “bank street” setup featuring leading financial institutions such as the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Turkish Eximbank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank. Discussions focused on infrastructure finance and improving access to capital.
The forum also hosted 40 companies in a 2,400-square-meter exhibition area, facilitating direct engagement between international stakeholders and private-sector actors. Uraloglu highlighted strong interest from African and Asian delegations, with discussions centering on enhancing regional connectivity.
Underlining Türkiye’s strategic location, Uraloglu said that 67 countries—including much of Africa, Europe, and Asia—are within just a four-hour flight from Türkiye. These regions represent a combined population of 1.5 billion, a gross domestic product of $51 trillion, and annual trade volume of $25 trillion.
Uraloglu also updated participants on the Development Road Project, a 1,200-kilometer multimodal corridor linking the Persian Gulf to Europe via Iraq and Türkiye. The corridor will include highway, railway, energy, and communication infrastructure.
Türkiye, Iraq, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates are currently involved in the project. While Türkiye has completed most of its domestic portion, work continues on finalizing the financing model for Iraq’s segment. Construction is expected to begin in 2025, with full implementation targeted for the early 2030s. The corridor is expected to generate $23.9 billion in economic benefits upon completion.
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