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A truck transport system involving Turkey, Iraq, Germany, Jordan, and Kuwait has reportedly launched on Friday, coinciding with the Global Transportation Corridors Forum in Istanbul, the National Iraqi News Agency reported last week. This initiative represents the first phase of the Development Road Initiative, connecting Turkey to Iraq — then Kuwait and Jordan — via tracked trucks, the news outlet reports, quoting Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu.
How it works: Iraqi routes that have been closed since 2003 will open for shipments. The system also reopens direct routes to Jordan via Iraq, which have been closed since 2011, allowing Kuwait-bound shipments to depart — originating from Germany — for the first time in 14 years.
Iraq has been preparing: Iraq’s Transport Ministry launched a pilot transport operation in partnership with the International Road Transport Union (IRU) via its TIR system for the first time earlier in March, paving the way for a trucking route road that connects the Arabian Gulf from Iraq’s Umm Qasr port with the Mediterranean through Turkey’s Mersin port.
Turkey as a transshipment hub: The move underscores Ankara’s objective of situating Turkey as a “reliable and mandatory partner” for shipments across Asia, Africa, and Europe, Anadolu Agency reports, quoting Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. “The Trans-Caspian East-West Middle Corridor, which connects China via Central Asia, the Caspian, and Türkiye to Europe, is the most efficient route for this purpose,” Fidan said at the Global Transportation Corridors Forum.
ALSO- The Turkish and Syrian governments signed an MoU to allow direct shipment of goods between the two countries without the need of transhipment, the Syrian News Agency reports, citing Uraloglu. This opens up the way for more overland connections between Turkey and Gulf countries.
IN OTHER NEWS FROM TURKEY-
Turkey + Morocco ink maritime, road projects: Morocco’s Transport and Logistics Ministry has inked two MoUs with Turkey’s Transport and Infrastructure Ministry on road safety and maritime — leveraging Turkey’s expertise in maritime, shipbuilding, and trucks, according to a statement published on Saturday. The first MoU includes bilateral cooperation on road safety tech and integrating trucks for freight transport, while the second concerns Morocco’s feasibility study on expanding its maritime fleet.
