“Turkey aims to enhance its position as being a logistics hub in the East-West and North-South axis”- noted by Mr. Direkler, TRACECA National Secretary in Turkey

During his speech, Mr. Direkler underlined the high importance to be paid to the creation of new opportunities in TRACECA Corridor for further development. In particular, the infrastructure of the transit corridors should be renewed and improved, common measures should be taken to harmonize and to speed up the transport and border crossings, much importance should be given to railway investments in region countries and the number of the logistic centers should be increased. 

Mr. Direkler also added that Turkey as a member country itself, put its efforts for the sake of the Europe-Asia transport links and for using the transport potential. 

Special priority is given to the completion of the missing links on the main axis which serve for the international traffic and especially elimination of barriers on the border crossings. With this aim, Turkey has completed many projects which are also important for TRACECA Corridor.

Regarding the road transport of Turkey, Mr. Direkler informed on the mega projects such as North Marmara Motorway Project (including 3rd Bridge-Yavuz Sultan Selim) which is the second largest bot project after İstanbul-İzmir Motorway Project. Mr. Direkler informed that Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge will be the third bridge on the İstanbul Strait and 2,5 Billion US Dollars will be invested to the project. There will be 4 two-line highways and a two-line metro on the bridge and completed in August 2016. 

Storey Grand İstanbul Tunnel Project is also one of the mega projects of Turkey. It is the first 3-storey tunnel comprising of 2 two-way road lines and approximate project cost is 12.2 billion USD. 

Turkey surrounded by sea from its 3 parts give great importance to the development of maritime sector. Among very attractive projects in maritime transport of Turkey is the “Canal İstanbul Project”. An artificial waterway will be constructed between the Black Sea and Marmara Sea to ease the vessel traffic in the İstanbul Strait which is no-alternative passage between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. 

Mr. Direkler added that once this Canal is opened, Istanbul Strait will be closed to tanker traffic and two peninsulas and an island will be created in Istanbul. 

Turkey also strengthens its Railway network day by day. Mr. Direkler added that Marmaray project, which is a part of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway Project connecting Europe and Asia is an important part of the modern Silk Road. It was also mentioned that high-speed railway lines constructed to carry passengers and freight in order to reduce transport costs and to increase competitiveness. In this context, about 460 (four hundred sixty) km of the planned high-speed train lines are under construction; approximately 560 (five hundred sixty) km is in bidding phase, while more than 12 thousand km is in the project stage.

Within the Agenda of the IGC Meeting, Mr. Direkler expressed gratitude to Mr. Ciorpaga, TRACECA Secretary General for the work during Turkish presidency in the IGC TRACECA.

Mr. Direkler also expressed his hope for the possibility to hold National Secretaries meeting during the Presidency of Ukraine in the IGC TRACECA.

Full speech of Mr. Direkler are available for download here.