Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated that the works initiated to make Hatay Airport resistant to earthquakes will be completed at the beginning of 2026 and said, "Even in the event of similar earthquakes, the infrastructure will not be damaged." Stating that they have completed the work on the existing runway of Hatay Airport, Uraloğlu announced that arrival and departure flights will start as of March 29. Uraloğlu stated that they have started the work that will connect Hatay to all its neighbors by highway and railway and said, “We held the tender for the Highway and Railway Tunnel between Dörtyol and Hassa last January. We will build two 20-kilometer highway tunnels with a 55-kilometer-long railway and a 2-kilometer connection under the Amanos Mountains. We also held the İskenderun-Topboğazı Motorway and Antakya Connection Road tender on March 20. We signed the contract yesterday. "We are starting the construction now," he said.
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu made inspections regarding the works carried out at Hatay Airport. In his statement here, Minister Uraloğlu explained that permanent surface deformations and permanent slippage of up to 1,5 meters were observed due to faulting and ground liquefaction in the area where Hatay Airport is located.
“The Airport Will Not Be Damaged by Earthquakes”
Stating that the runway and the surrounding area were also affected by these settlements and slides, Uraloğlu reminded that after the earthquake, they quickly carried out the necessary work for the use of humanitarian aid and evacuation planes and opened the runway into service as soon as possible. Uraloğlu noted that they started the necessary work to build the infrastructure so that it would not be damaged even if similar earthquakes occur later, and said: "We tendered the Hatay Airport PAT Fields Repair and Development work on October 12, 2023, and started the construction work on November 21. We are building our new Hatay Airport on a high and impermeable fill by increasing the ground bearing capacity. We will also strengthen the terminal, technical block tower, fire station, power plant, lodging and garage buildings. We are building a runway with a length of 3 thousand meters and a width of 60 meters, allowing wide-body aircraft to land. We will also build a new parallel taxiway with a length of 2 meters, 720 rapid exits and 2 connection taxiways. "We aim to complete all these works in the first quarter of 4," he said.
“Our Hatay Airport Connection Road Work Continues”
Explaining that they have completed the Hatay Airport perimeter security wall upgrades and wall crack repairs, Uraloğlu said that the area where the airport is located will be protected against floods by reconstructing the 14-kilometer-long perimeter security wall during the construction of the new runway. Uraloğlu said, “We have completed the joint repair and crack repair on the airport runway. We have largely completed the ground reinforcement works. "In addition, our work on the 5-kilometer-long Hatay Airport Connection Road, which was damaged in the earthquake, continues." said.
“50 Billion Lira Investment in Hatay's Transportation and Communication Infrastructure”
Underlining that the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure has invested 2002 billion lira for Hatay's transportation and communication infrastructure since 50, Uraloğlu said that they increased the length of the divided road, which was 2002 kilometers in 151, to 503 kilometers, and the length of the bituminous hot mixture coated road, which was 142 kilometers, to 428 kilometers. told. Reminding that they held the tender for the Dörtyol-Hassa Highway and Railway Tunnel Project, which is important in terms of establishing an alternative transportation infrastructure to Hatay, Uraloğlu said, “This project; It is a project consisting of 55 kilometers of railway and 25 kilometers of highway. Within the scope of the project, we will build a 1-kilometer-long railway tunnel under the Amanos Mountains, a 20-kilometer single-line railway, and 55 25-kilometer highway tunnels on a 2-kilometer route. Our project consists of two stages and the first stage, which includes tunnel construction, will end at Hassa Junction. "It will leave the Toprakkale-Iskenderun Highway, pass under the Amanos Mountains at the Dörtyol junction, and merge with the existing highway between Kırıkhan and Nurdağı via Hassa," he said.
Amanos Mountains are Passed by Tunnel
Uraloğlu stated that with the tunnels to be built, the transportation between İskenderun-Gaziantep and İskenderun Kahramanmaraş will be shortened and the existing trade volume in this region will be provided with ease of access, and added: “With this project, the Southeastern Anatolia Region, which is currently provided from the northern and southern ends of the Amanos Mountains, and the Eastern Anatolia region connected to Kahramanmaraş will be provided. "The transportation distance of the region will be significantly shortened by road, which is between Payas and Hassa and passes through the middle part of the Amanos Mountains," he said.
“We Make Hatay's Transportation to Surrounding Provinces Comfortable and Fast”
Underlining that the investments made in Hatay by the Ministry are not limited to the highway, Uraloğlu said that likewise, Hatay and İskenderun will be connected to Gaziantep and Hassa Logistics Area in a shorter way with the railway line to be built between Payas-Hassa-Yolbaşı. Stating that the Payas-Hassa line of the project has a special importance, Uraloğlu said, “Currently, if the cargo and passengers coming from Kahramanmaraş and Gaziantep follow the Nurdağı-Hassa-Payas road instead of the highway after Nurdağı, the transportation distance will be significantly shortened. . Currently, the Kilis-Osmaniye-İskenderun route, which is 235 kilometers, is 38 kilometers, the Kırıkhan-İskenderun-Dörtyol route, which is 77 kilometers, is 15 kilometers, the Nurdağı-Osmaniye-Dörtyol Payas route, which is 121 kilometers, is 20,5 kilometers, and the Dörtyol-Kırıkhan-Hassa route is 79 kilometers. "The railway route between Payas and Fevzipaşa, which is 53 kilometers and 84 kilometers, will be shortened by 30 kilometers and safe, comfortable and uninterrupted transportation will be provided," he said.
“We are starting the construction of İskenderun-Topboğazı Motorway and Connection Roads”
Minister Uraloğlu stated that the traffic density has increased due to aid and debris works on the existing highway between Iskenderun and Antakya, and that this congestion will increase with the reconstruction works of Antakya city center, and said, "Iskenderun-Topboğazı Highway and Antakya Connection Road, whose tender we held on March 11, in order to relieve the traffic congestion on this route. "We signed the contract and we are starting the construction," he said. Minister Uraloğlu stated that within the scope of the project, a highway with a total length of 19,2 kilometers will be built in the İskenderun-Topboğazı Highway section and said, “We will build 725 double tube tunnels with a total length of 7 thousand 950 meters, 8 meters in the Belen section of our highway, and 675 thousand 2 meters in the Amanos Mountains section. In the Topboğazı-Antakya State Highway section, our 4 kilometer long 24,5-lane state road will be converted into a 6-lane bituminous hot mixture coated state road. "I wish you good luck in advance," he said. Uraloğlu said that they are continuing the construction of the 76-kilometer connection road, which will provide transportation to Hatay earthquake residences and new settlements.
Iskenderun OSB Connects to the Railway
Emphasizing that they will provide access to the national railway network to many heavy industrial facilities operating in the region by completing the survey project works of the Iskenderun OIZ Junction Line Project, Uraloğlu stated that the renovation works have started to eliminate the settlement of coastal structures seen after the earthquake, collapse of the docks and superficial liquefaction on the ground, and said, "Iskenderun Coastline Coastal Protection Structure "We started the repair work of the Fisherman's Shelter," he said. He gave the good news that Uraloğlu, Dörtyol, Madenli, Işıklı Konacık and Samandağ Çevlik Fishing Shelters Repair works were included in the 2024 investment program.
“We will build Hatay in accordance with its cultural texture”
Stating that, as the Ministry, they have fulfilled every duty and responsibility in Hatay's transportation and infrastructure investments, Uraloğlu said, “As you can see, for Hatay; We work in four branches: airline, road, railway and sea. "We will rebuild Hatay with its squares and main streets in accordance with its historical and cultural texture." said. Stating that they are following many projects related to Hatay, Uraloğlu stated that they turned the existing road between İskenderun and Toprakkale into a bituminous hot coated road. Stating that they will hold the tender for the remaining section of the road in the future, Uraloğlu said, “We re-held the tender for the Samandağ Ring Road section and started the work. We will complete it quickly. We have also made significant progress in the work of GSM Operators. We will fix the internet problem soon. "We will talk to the Metropolitan Municipality about the coast protection structures between Iskenderun and Erzin," he said.
Flights to Hatay Airport Start
Uraloğlu stated that the renovation work of the Hatay Airport runway started after the earthquake and that in the first stage it was done in a way that allowed planes to land empty and take off full, and said, “However, as a result of our renovation works, we have now made the runway better quality. We have now made it possible to land fully and take off fully. As of March 29, we are starting to carry ticketed passengers, both arrivals and departures. "Turkish Airlines has started ticket sales," he said.