Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced intensive talks with Iraq, the Emirates and Qatar regarding the Turkish-Iraqi Development Road Project.
Fidan said in a joint press conference held last night with his British counterpart, James Cleverly, who is on an official visit to the Turkish capital, Ankara, that new trade routes have become important after the geopolitical developments witnessed in recent years, including the Corona epidemic, the Russian-Ukrainian war, and competition between the states. The United States and China or the West and China.
He pointed out that these developments also re-introduced other trade routes that were previously discussed in theory, stressing that the trade route does not mean meeting trade alone, but is at the same time a reflection of geostrategic competition.
Regarding the memorandum of understanding signed during the G20 summit regarding the economic corridor project between India, the Middle East and Europe, Fidan said: “When we look at the project that begins in India and was recently signed during the G20 summit, we see that there are doubts among experts about the basic goal, rationality and efficiency,” indicating that "these doubts are more related to geostrategic concerns.
He revealed that the “Development Road” project was presented during the meetings held by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with the leaders participating in the G20 summit in the Indian capital, New Delhi, between September 9 and 10, stressing that Turkey is currently preoccupied with the “Development Road” project extending from Basra Governorate in the Gulf all the way to northern Iraq and then Turkey, which will connect Asia to Europe.
Fidan stressed that "Iraq, the Emirates, Turkey and Qatar in particular are holding intensive talks in this regard, and that Erdogan agreed with his Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during a meeting between them, to complete the final official procedures in this project during the next few months, at least in terms of their formulation on paper and put into practice.
Fidan indicated that Türkiye informed the Iraqi side of this initial meeting.
India, the United States, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, France, Germany and Italy have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the India-Middle East and Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which aims to increase trade, provide energy resources and improve digital communication. These countries that signed the memorandum did not make a binding financial commitment, but they agreed to prepare an “action plan” for constructing the corridor within two months.
It is noteworthy that the “Development Road” project, which was announced by Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani late last May, includes the land and railway road extending from Iraq to Turkey and its ports.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency