Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, speaking ahead of the groundbreaking ceremony for the Kars–Iğdır–Aralık–Dilucu Railway Line, answered questions from media representatives, including Yeni Şafak Ankara Bureau Chief Fazlı Şahan. He underlined the vital importance of the Zangezur Corridor for the region, stressing that it will also reinforce the Middle Corridor, a key trade route between Asia and Europe.
Uraloğlu explained that rail-based trade through the Middle Corridor would offer significant time savings compared to sea routes. “Ultimately, you need to have every alternative available. Once we complete this railway line, the investment we make here will repay itself within a certain period. We do not see it solely as a transportation project but also as a strategic investment,” he said.
On the Zangezur Corridor specifically, Uraloğlu stated: “When this corridor is built, it will be the shortest route connecting the Turkic world, Turkic republics, and the Far East. The Zangezur Corridor will create a freight capacity of 15 million tons. Over a 30-year projection, we expect to generate 147.6 billion lira in economic gains.”
He compared the project to the İzmir–Istanbul Highway, which he said had spurred the establishment of 12 Organized Industrial Zones (OIZs) along its route, generating logistics opportunities, industrialization, and employment. Asked whether similar developments might be seen along the Kars–Iğdır–Aralık–Dilucu line, Uraloğlu replied that at the very least, there was now political will to prevent all new industrial facilities from being concentrated in Istanbul. With new transport projects making logistics easier in Anatolia, he said, production plants would be able to spread more evenly across the country.
Turning to developments at the Syrian border, Uraloğlu said progress was being made on solving the logistical problem of trucks being forced to unload and reload goods at the frontier. He explained that discussions with relevant parties were ongoing. Turkiye’s priority, he said, was to rehabilitate the railway from Gaziantep to Aleppo, which had been completely destroyed. The renewal project would require $120 million in financing, and joint efforts were underway with Syria to secure international funding.
The minister added that repairs to a specific section of the historic Hejaz Railway required less financing and would be undertaken directly by Turkiye. On aviation infrastructure, he noted that Turkish companies had already won the contract to renovate and expand Damascus International Airport, with similar work being planned for Aleppo. “Syria needs everything, from infrastructure to superstructure. The key issue is finding sources of funding,” he said.
Discussing Ankara’s urban transport projects, Uraloğlu confirmed a revision of the Esenboğa Metro project. “The municipality requested that this project be carried out by us. We are reviewing it, and we may be able to put it out to tender next year,” he stated.
Asked about the earthquake resilience of road infrastructure, Uraloğlu stressed that all tenders referenced Turkiye’s updated earthquake code. “Every new project is implemented according to this regulation, meaning earthquake sensitivity is automatically ensured during tendering. Thus, there is no problem in newly built structures. Older structures must be reassessed and reinforced in line with the new code, depending on their risk classification,” he explained.
The minister highlighted that significant earthquake safety measures had already been implemented across transportation infrastructure, particularly in Istanbul. “We have completed 80–90 percent of earthquake safety works on structures such as bridges and highways. For instance, we replaced all suspension cables on both the July 15 Martyrs Bridge and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge. The main lines have been reinforced against potential earthquakes. Our transport infrastructure has successfully passed the required tests,” he said.
