Kenan Memişov, Head of Infrastructure Policy Department of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, announced that the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway Line, which is the most important connection point of the New Silk Road that will connect China to Europe via Turkey, will be put into service in a few years.
Within the scope of the 91st Izmir International Fair, in the 8th Izmir Business Days organized under the coordination of the Ministry of Commerce of the Republic of Turkey, hosted by the Izmir Branch of the IMEAK Chamber of Shipping, "Current Trends in Agricultural Trade from the Sea and the Effects of the Russia-Ukraine War" and "Caspian Sea" An online meeting was held in which the subjects of “Logistics Conditions-Possibilities of the Company” were discussed.
The meeting chaired by Yusuf Öztürk, Chairman of the Board of Directors of IMEAK Chamber of Shipping İzmir Branch, was attended by Dokuz Eylül University Maritime Faculty Faculty Member Prof.Dr. Okan Tuna and Kenan Memişov, Head of Infrastructure Policy Department of the General Directorate of Economic Policy of the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan.
PROJECT SPEED PROCESS
Memişov stated that container transportation is currently being carried out on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway Line, which started in 2017 with the cooperation of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia, and announced that this line will start to operate with all its performance very soon. Memişov said, “The project is progressing very quickly. It will be completed in the next year or two. Thus, the amount of containers passing through this line will increase much more. Containers loaded on ships from Europe and Turkey will be transported to Central Asia and China.
Stating that Turkey, Azerbaijan and other Central Asian States are located in the Middle Corridor of the New Silk Road, Memişov said that the efforts to homogenize, improve and simplify the customs procedures of the countries in the corridor continue with the support of the Turkish States Organization Fund. Memişov said, “When the works are completed, a cargo will be able to come to Azerbaijan from China and Central Asia and go to Turkey in a very short time. This process will be with a single customs declaration. I am very hopeful. Turkey and Central Asian countries are also very enthusiastic about this issue," he said.
Emphasizing that there is an alternative railway line that passes through the Zengezur Corridor and extends to Nakhchivan in parallel with the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway Line, Memişov said that Turkey will build a railway from Kars to Iğdır and connect to this line, until this project is completed. He said that Asian cargoes will be transported via Tabriz-Van Railway and Nakhchivan connection.
FIRST IRON THEN THE SEA SILKROAD
Yusuf Öztürk, Chairman of the Board of Directors of IMEAK Chamber of Shipping Izmir Branch, said that Turkey has not yet been included in the Maritime Silk Road leg of China's Belt and Road Project, which is called the New Silk Road, but will be located on the Iron Silk Road thanks to its railway connection with Azerbaijan. Expressing that the East is the production region and the West is the consumption market in the 21st century, Öztürk drew attention to the strategic importance of Turkey and Azerbaijan, which are located in the Middle Corridor of the Silk Road. Öztürk said, “Due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, the Northern Corridor of the Belt and Road Project is almost closed. The Middle Corridor, which passes through the borders of two friendly states and nations, Turkey and Azerbaijan, is open. The most important connection of this corridor is the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway Line. Kars Logistics Center is finished. We are ready this way. We must do our best to bring this project to life," he said.
Öztürk stated that the new era, which started with the carbon footprint in 2030, will be a period in which the history and future of the logistics industry will be rewritten, adding that Turkey should be prepared for this logistics transformation.
NEW SUPPLY CHAIN OPPORTUNITY TO TURKEY
Dokuz Eylul University Maritime Faculty Lecturer Prof.Dr. Okan Tuna stated that Turkey is a bridge country in logistics and production. Stating that the supply chain based on efficiency, low-cost production and shipment that emerged with globalization will completely change by 2030, Tuna said, “For the first time, the world started to hold 9 trillion dollars of stock. Businesses now prefer to produce in closer areas. Supply chains will turn inward or closer. Turkey comes to the fore in the new fiction in the world. We did not miss the opportunity. We will take advantage of this new setup,” he said.
GRAIN CORRIDOR EXPANSION
Yusuf Öztürk, Chairman of the Board of Directors of IMEAK DTO İzmir Branch, stated that Turkey shares the same sea with Ukraine and Russia, and thanked those who contributed to the Grain Corridor. Öztürk said, “Our biggest wish is for the war to end as soon as possible. However, during this time, the food supply in the region should become permanent. Ships that are not suitable for food transportation should also be provided to carry other products. Prof. dr. Okan Tuna, on the other hand, said that the Grain Corridor should be expanded and diversified in terms of transported product. Pointing out that African countries cannot benefit from the grain passing through the corridor, Tuna said, “Developed countries are selfish to keep their food stocks. However, while 1,6 billion tons of food is wasted in the world, there is a danger of hunger in regions such as Africa.
Be the first to comment