Transport and Infrastructure Minister Mehmet Cahit Turhan, reported that Turkey's transport infrastructure being strengthened and integrated with the world for the last 16 years invested 509 billion TL.
Minister Turhan attended the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC) Transport Ministers meeting held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.
Speaking at the meeting titled “Development of commerce through connectivity”, Turhan stated that it is important to establish physical connections between the BSEC member states and to realize projects with a common sense of responsibility for the development of the region.
Turhan said that the Black Sea region is an integral part of the continuation of the connection between Europe and Asia and stressed the importance of the region after the Belt and Road Initiative initiated by China.
Turhan stated that the development of infrastructure and the completion of missing links are vital to increase trade in the region.
Turhan mention the Black Sea Ring Highway, the Black Sea, this 683-kilometer-long split into a thousand ways to cut the main axis of the road through Turkey, he said.
Stating that there are two main connection roads extending to the Aegean and Mediterranean ports on the line, Turhan said, “Our efforts to improve the road quality on the line, including the connection roads, continue. In the coming years, all segments on the line, which are one-way-only arrivals, will be made multi-lane. This corridor will connect our country to the Black Sea countries, the Caucasus and the Central Asia and the Far East by ferry service over the Caspian Sea.
It is planned to complete the parts of the Black Sea Ring Highway within the borders of our country in parts. I consider this project as one of the most important works carried out in BSEC. ” said.
Another important project to ensure the integration of the BSEC transport networks with international corridors is the Deniz Motorway, Turhan said, adding that this project is critical to reveal the potential of maritime transport on the Black Sea and to increase the maritime trade in the region. Turhan said that they needed closer teamwork and concrete steps in order to realize the project.
Turhan said that physical connectivity is important but not sufficient to sustain uninterrupted transportation services. In this context, Turhan stated that they care about the “Facilitating Memorandum of Facilitating Transport of Goods in the Black Sea Region” and they support the international goods transportation system with a no-pass and quota-free road under equal competition conditions.
To this end, Turhan stated that they are supporting to increase the quotas for both cross-border and transit pass, to ensure the freedom of transit, to remove high tolls and to facilitate visa applications for professional drivers.
“We invite all member countries to participate in the 'BSEC Permit Certificate Project', which has been initiated to liberalize road transport in the BSEC region and has great potential. In road transport activities in the BSEC region, we attach importance to the freedom of transit between the member countries. On the other hand, we believe that it will be of great benefit to switch to the implementation of the multi-entry visa system in order to facilitate visa applications for professional drivers in the BSEC region. Likewise, we think that the fees charged under different names, which are one of the obstacles to road transportation, should be removed. ”
Turhan stated that they attach importance to taking the necessary steps to approve and implement the draft “Diploma, Certificate and Other Official Documents in the Field of Road Transport and Operator Transport Operations” and said, “Facilitating Visa Procedures for Professional Truck Drivers, which are citizens of the BSEC Member Countries. He invited all member countries to sign the agreement in order to reach the number of signatures required for the Convention to enter into force.
“Baku-Tbilisi Kars Railway connects Asian and European transportation networks”
Turkey's mention of infrastructure investments Turhan, gave the following information:
“We have invested 16 billion TL in the last 509 years to strengthen our transportation infrastructure and integrate with the world. In our country, the roads that serve 80 percent of the traffic today are divided. The divided road, which is 6 thousand 101 km, extended to 26 thousand 200 kilometers. The number of provinces connected in a divided way became 76. Highway length has increased from 714 to 2 kilometers. The length of the railway has reached 657 thousand 10 kilometers from 948 thousand 12 kilometers. ”
Emphasizing that they opened the Marmaray and Baku-Tbilisi Kars Railway Line and united the continents, Turhan said, “Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway has established a direct connection with Georgia and Azerbaijan and an important corridor has been established to connect the Asian and European transportation networks of our Black Sea region. " he spoke.
Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, Osmangazi Bridge, Eurasia Tunnel, such as the global giant projects that put into service to remind the Turhan, the airport they made significant investments, the number of active airports until 2023 65'ya said until the year.
Turhan added that they increased the number of international flight destinations from 60 to 316, and the number of countries with air contracts from 81 to 169, and that air freight increased from 879 thousand tons to 2 million 127 thousand tons.
In addition to Turhan, the Minister of Transport, Communication and High Technologies, Ramin Guluzade and the transport ministry officials of the BSEC member countries were also present at the meeting.
Turhan also visited the Baku Martyrs 'Lane and the Baku Turkish Martyrs' Cemetery where the January 20 martyrs were buried as part of the Azerbaijani contacts.