Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Adil Karaismailoğlu attended the International Strategic Communications Summit (Stratcom Summit '21) organized by the Presidency of Communications. Speaking at the special session titled “Life Begins When It Arrives” held within the scope of the summit, Karaismailoğlu talked about the strategic achievements of Turkey's transportation, infrastructure and communication projects.
Noting that Turkey is in the middle of Eurasia, where there are 4 countries, a population of 67 billion and a trade volume of 1,6 trillion dollars, with a 7-hour flight, Karaismailoğlu said that they acted by planning what needs to be done in transportation in order to turn this into advantages.
Expressing that the world trade volume was 2020 billion tons as of 12 and all authorities said that this would increase to 2030 billion tons in 25, Karaismailoğlu said, “We had to integrate with the world and develop the transportation infrastructure within the country in a short time. We planned these and set out.”
Karaismailoğlu noted that while the whole world closed its doors during the Kovid-19 process, Turkey did not stop and continued its transportation investments, adding, “Despite the pandemic, we increased our transportation and communication investments to 2020 billion TL in 50 with an increase of almost 83 percent compared to the previous year. We estimate that this process will return to normal in the summer of 2022, to 2019. That's how we make our plans," he said.
WE HAVE INVESTED 19 TRILLION 1 BILLION TL IN 136 YEARS
Minister Karaismailoğlu stated that they have spent 19 trillion 1 billion liras in the transportation and communication sectors as a ministry in the last 136 years, and said that this investment amount will increase to 1,6 trillion liras when the ongoing projects are completed. Karaismailoğlu, who stated that they made the most investments in transportation modes in the last 19 years, and that almost 65 percent of the total investments went here, said that a certain level has been reached here, that the investments of land and railways have already gone side-by-side, from now on the investments of railways will go up a bit. He said he will come out.
TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENTS CONTINUE TO INTEGRATE TURKEY WITH THE WORLD
Talking about the railway investments that were neglected before them, Karaismailoğlu said, “Our feverish work continues on the railway network of approximately 4 thousand 364 kilometers. A railway work that will exceed 20 thousand kilometers in the short term continues all over our country.”
Karaismailoğlu, who reiterated that the transportation investments that will integrate Turkey with the world continue, said that the middle corridor on which the country is located offers advantages compared to other corridors in terms of economy, speed and cost, and Marmaray and Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway Line, which was implemented to make this corridor uninterrupted. talked about.
Karaismailoğlu stated that they continue to work to increase Turkey's share in world trade, and said that they continue to work to bring the transportation in the northern corridor to the middle corridor. Referring to the advantages offered by Turkey in sea, land and railway modes in the middle corridor, Karaismailoğlu stated that they follow the developments here.
BUILDING AN ALTERNATIVE WATERWAY TO THE ISTANBUL STRAIT HAS BEEN MANDATORY
Karaismailoğlu, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, stated that Turkey, like the whole world, increased its port investments with the increase in global trade, and said that they put forward the Canal Istanbul Project for the increase to be experienced in maritime transportation and the Bosphorus. Karaismailoğlu stated that the waiting time of the ships that want to pass through the Bosphorus exceeded 24 hours, that in addition to the economic loss, the environment was also damaged, and that there were accidents in the Bosphorus, and continued his words as follows:
“The number of ships that have to pass through the Bosphorus for safe passage annually is around 25 thousand. But we are trying to pass more than 40 thousand ships through the Bosphorus annually by forcing these extraordinary conditions and taking extraordinary security measures to reduce the waiting times in the Sea of Marmara. By 2050, the number of ships that will pass through the strait is expected to increase to 78 thousand, and in the 2070s to 86 thousand. Of course, it is not possible for so many ships to pass through the Bosphorus. That's why it has become indispensable to construct an alternative waterway in order to save the Bosphorus from this burden, this distress and this danger.”
Karaismailoğlu talked about the economic and environmental impacts of Kanal Istanbul and stated that the works of this project started with the construction of a bridge.
Explaining that Istanbul Airport was awarded with a completely transparent and open tender, and that the winning company invested billions of euros in a completely inactive area without taking a single penny from the state, Karaismailoğlu said, “It will give 25 billion euros to the state during its 22-year operation period. It has been such an efficient investment that since the number of passengers caught the guarantee given in 2019 when it was first opened, an extra 22 million Euros of cash inflow was provided to the state again," he said.
INTEREST IN ANTALYA AIRPORT TENDER THE MOST IMPORTANT PROOF OF TRUST IN TURKEY
Referring to the airport investments, Minister of Transport Karaismailoğlu said that Rize-Artvin Airport is expected to be put into service before the summer season starts, that they held a tender for Antalya Airport last week, that the tender for 760 billion Euros of investment to share revenue after 2025 is in great demand. Karaismailoğlu said, “Without a penny coming out of the state's coffers, an investment of 760 million euros will be made by the private sector as external financing, and it has guaranteed an income of 25 billion euros for 8,5 years to the state. 8,5 percent of this 25 billion euros, that is, 2,32 billion euros, will be deposited in our state's coffers within 90 days. Turkey continues to increase its attractiveness in the world. This interest is the most important proof of the trust of the whole world in Turkey and that Turkey is a center of attraction.
WE EXPECT THE MANAGERS OF THE CITY TO ACCELERATE THEIR PROJECTS
Talking about the investments they made on the highway, the bridges they put into service in Anatolia, and that they made them forget the "traffic monster" signs, Karaismailoğlu explained that they shortened the distances and travel time and made them safer. Stating that the city's traffic could be at a deadlock point if there are no investments such as the Northern Marmara Motorway, Eurasia Tunnel, and Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge in Istanbul, Karaismailoğlu said, "With investments such as the Istanbul-İzmir Highway and Osmangazi Bridge, these projects will make a very important contribution to the Marmara Region, which is the heart of the economy. He said that they provide significant vitality to the economy, trade, tourism and many areas in the region where they are located.
Karaismailoğlu stated that it is necessary to constantly invest in Istanbul, and said that they are currently speeding up the metro projects as the ministry, and they expect the city's administrators to accelerate their projects.
OUR PUBLIC-PRIVATE COLLABORATION PROJECTS WILL BE SELF-BALANCED IN 2024
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Karaismailoğlu stated that they spend 80 percent of their budget from the general budget, that is, from the treasury, and that they have implemented the other ones as build-operate-transfer projects. “As a public-private partnership, we had a project stock of 37,5 billion dollars. We have completed these projects.” Karaismailoğlu said:
“In other words, an investment of 37,5 billion dollars was made without a penny coming out of the state's coffers. These projects have become an asset of this country. (Operator) It will finish it in its lifetime, but the projects will serve the country for hundreds of years. Until 2024, we will support the projects with which we cooperate with public-private. It shows us the feasibility that these guaranteed vehicle numbers cannot win in the first years. But when you take an average period of time, these are completely profitable, let alone supporting, they will return to us as projects from which the state will earn income.”
Karaismailoğlu stated that they normally supported road projects, one of the modes of transportation, in the first years, and that air and seaway projects met themselves, and made the following assessments:
“After 2024, our public-private partnership projects (land, air and sea) are self-balancing. When we approach 2030, it will provide its own guarantee, including my highway projects, without any support, and will now bring a surplus income to the state. At the end of this work, it will make a contribution of 2040 billion TL to the state by 18. I will say something much more assertive; As the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, as the largest investor ministry of the Republic of Turkey, by the year 2040, as a ministry that has produced its own budget and its own income sources, without taking a penny from the general budget, it will now produce its own income and spread its own resources to all Anatolian lands of the Republic of Turkey. It will be in a position to produce its own investment and finance.”
TÜRKSAT 5B TO BE LAUNCHED ON 19 DECEMBER
Minister Karaismailoğlu talked about Turkey's satellite, communication and space studies and said that the Türksat 5B satellite will be launched into space on Sunday, December 19, with the Space X Falcon 9 rocket. Karaismailoğlu stated that the work of the Türksat 6A satellite continues and said, “When we launch it into space, Turkey will be proudly represented in space as the 10th country that produced its own satellite.”
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