Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu provided details on the strategic Development Road project between Türkiye and Iraq. Minister Uraloğlu stated that they aim to break ground on the project within this year.
The 1,200-kilometer project, starting from the Port of Faw and extending through Türkiye to Europe, encompasses railway, highway, energy transmission and communication lines. Uraloğlu pointed out that an investment of approximately $15 billion is being discussed for the railway component alone.
The Minister conveyed that in the talks held after the formation of the new government in Iraq, an agreement was reached on the project's financing and the location of the Fishkhabur-Ovaköy border gate, and noted that the deal envisages the construction by Turkish contractors in exchange for oil.
Uraloğlu stated that a technical detail regarding the signing ceremony planned within the scope of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zeydi's visit needed to be corrected, and said: "Right on the eve of the signing ceremony, just minutes before, a need arose to correct a technical detail that was identified. A technical point needed to be fixed. They suggested, 'Let's sign after we correct this.' We found it reasonable. I would especially like to underline that there was absolutely no difference of opinion there."
Uraloğlu emphasized that immediately after the press statement, they signed as the two ministers in the presence of the President and the Prime Minister, and the process was completed. The Minister said, "May it be auspicious for our country, Iraq, and the Middle East," and stated that the completion of the project would reduce dependence on critical waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz.
"Our goal is to break ground this year, and we are working towards that," Uraloğlu said, adding that the project could be completed in 4-5 years, but that reducing it to 3 years would also be discussed. He emphasized that the project is not just a transportation line, but a development project with logistics centers and petrochemical facilities to be established in Türkiye.
Minister Uraloğlu also touched on the railway line that will pass over the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, stating that they are talking about an annual capacity of 30 million tons and hundreds of train crossings per day. He noted that, in contrast to Marmaray's limited capacity, the new line connected to the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge would solve this problem.
Uraloğlu announced that a $6.7 billion loan agreement was made under very favorable terms with six international financing institutions led by the World Bank, and that its tender will be held on October 14, adding that this line will likely start in 2027.
