The Development Road project, stretching from southern Iraq to the border with Turkey, aims to connect the Persian Gulf with Turkey and significantly enhance Iraq’s geopolitical stance and generate economic gains for Baghdad. When completed, the project will also shorten the travel time between Asia and Europe.
“We are in the initial designing stages of the Development Road project and work is ongoing. The railroad aspect is 66 percent completed and the highway is 52 percent complete,” Maytham al-Safi, spokesperson for the transportation ministry told Rudaw.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Monday leading a high-level delegation. One of the topics of discussion between the Turkish and Iraqi sides is expected to be the Development Project.
Safi referred to Turkey as the “main and strategic partner” in the Development Road, adding that they will sign memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with the Turkish side in the transportation sector during the Turkish president’s trip.
Ankara expects to sign over 20 agreements with the Iraqi and Kurdish sides during the trip, according to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
The spokesperson stated that the Development Road will strengthen Iraq’s economy on a regional scale, and help rebuild its image and political and economic vision.
“The Development Road has commercial and economic goals as well as cultural goals… The project will have trains traveling at 140-160 kilometers per hour to transport goods, and there is also a land highway for transporting goods, and a railway for tourists traveling at 300 kilometers per hour,” he added.
In a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani in July, Erdogan said Ankara is ready to participate in the construction of the Development Road.
