Türkiye will host a major summit next week to gather parties to the Development Road Project as part of efforts to advance planning on the landmark road and rail infrastructure link, a senior official said on Friday.
The meeting will come months after Türkiye, Iraq, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a preliminary agreement in late April to cooperate on the Development Road Project, launched by Baghdad last year and estimated to cost around $17 billion (TL 578 billion).
The deal came on the sidelines of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to Baghdad, the first by a Turkish leader since 2011.
"We are moving into a critical phase following the memorandum," Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said on Friday, announcing the first Four-Minister Summit that will bring together top officials from these countries in Istanbul on Aug. 29.
Uraloğlu said the meeting would address "every detail" of the Development Road Project, and sides would "make key decisions."
The project envisages linking a major commodities port on Iraq's southern coast by rail and road to the border with Türkiye. It is expected to consolidate economic ties between the two neighbors.
The 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) road and rail project aims to turn Iraq into a transit hub, connecting Asia and Europe with a link between the country's Grand Faw Port in the oil-rich south and Türkiye in the north.
According to Uraloğlu, the Development Road Project is expected to significantly contribute to Türkiye's economic growth and regional development.
"The Development Road will not only diversify international trade corridors but will also support the sustainability of global trade," he said. "Türkiye will strengthen its economic and strategic advantages by creating a reliable and efficient trade corridor between Asia and Europe."
Uraloğlu also pointed out that goods arriving via the Development Road route will be able to move in all directions – east, west, north and south – thanks to Türkiye's extensive transportation network and ports.
"This corridor will enable us to integrate more robustly into the global logistics system," he said. "We will offer new options for freight transport and believe that the Development Road will enhance the efficiency of existing transport corridors."
The project's Turkish segment spans approximately 1,592 kilometers from Kapıkule to Şanlıurfa, with a new 331-kilometer highway planned between Şanlıurfa and Ovaköy.
On the railway aspect of the project, Uraloğlu said Türkiye is constructing a new high-speed rail line between Halkalı and Kapıkule, totaling 229 kilometers in length, which will serve both freight and passenger transport.
"We aim to complete the 153-kilometer Çerkezköy-Kapıkule section by the end of 2025. Once finished, travel time between Halkalı and Kapıkule will be reduced from four to just 1.5 hours, with a fourfold increase in line capacity."
Uraloğlu also mentioned that authorities have completed the planning process for the railway line that will pass over the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge.