ISTANBUL

The Development Road project stretching from the Iraqi province of Basra to the Turkish border is expected to enter the implementation phase within a few months, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday.

Speaking at the 10th World Turkish Business Council (DTIK) Congress in Istanbul, Fidan said: “We hope to move into the implementation phase of the Development Road project, which is of great importance for prosperity and stability in the Middle East, within the next few months.”

Türkiye and Iraq are working to build a land and railroad transportation corridor from the Iraqi province of Basra to the Turkish border.

Referring to the agreement on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor signed at the G-20 summit in New Delhi last week, Fidan said: "We, at a point where three continents converge, are open to any plan that promotes cooperation."

"However, it should be known that in our region, the effective and sustainable operation of energy and transportation corridors without Türkiye's involvement is not possible."

The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, which connects the Turkic world to Europe via the Caspian Sea, and the Development Road that will pass through Iraq to Türkiye, underscore Türkiye’s central role, he added.

Some international developments such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the COVID-19 outbreak, which have deeply affected the global and geopolitical environment, have proven that the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route is a reliable alternative route, he said.