New Silk Road, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway

New Silk Road, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway: this era of globalization where borders are opened, transportation is a problem for Turkey's economy in the first degree. While the whole world used railways and seaways, we focused on roads and trucks. However, the cost of transportation on rail and sea routes is much cheaper, at least one fifth of the road. In our country, 70 percent of the transportation is done by roads. Because it is expensive, road transportation increases production costs and consequently leads to an increase in product prices.
Moreover, there is a weight limit in road transport and its carrying capacity is low. It creates environmental pollution and traffic problems.
The "Kars-Tbilisi-Baku Railway Project", which starts from Europe from the third Bosphorus bridge and Marmaray, passes through Kars-Tbilisi and Baku and the Caspian Sea, reaches Middle Aya and China, is the most important project of the century in transportation and transportation. In addition to freight transport, passenger transport will also be made. After all, this project is the "new silk road connecting Europe to China".
The loan of this project was also found in 2001. However, at that time, the government could not implement it due to the economic crisis. The project, but Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey between government, was put into practice with the covenant made in Tbilisi on February 7, 2007. The foundation of the Georgian part of the line was laid on 21 November 2007 with the participation of the presidents of three countries. While the line is expected to be completed on September 24, 2012, it has not been completed yet.
From 1992 to 2007, the Kars-Ardahan and Iğdır Development Foundation has largely lobbyed for the project. Kars and Ardahan deputies and Karsli-Ardahanli deputies in other provinces, as well as us, became followers of the issue. Kemal Murathanov, who was the only Turkish deputy of Georgia between 2002-2007, also worked for this project in Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Now Ahmet Arslan, the Minister of Transport, was the general manager of DLH.
When the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is put into service, it is aimed to transport 3 million tons of cargo per year in the medium term and it is aimed to transport 2034 million 16 thousand passengers with 500 million 1 thousand tons of cargo in 500 year.
With this project, Turkey will be linked to the Turkish Republics in Central Asia through the Caspian Sea. An uninterrupted railway connection will be provided between our country and the Central Asian Turkish Republics, with the world's most important oil and gas deposits and a population of 200 million Turkish origin.
Our trade with Georgia, Azerbaijan and Central Asian Turkic Republics will increase.
Governments, however, keep border trade narrow. Therefore, our trade with our border neighbor Georgia is far below the potential. The construction of the railway will allow this potential to be used.
The railway will provide further development of our political relations with all these countries.
Kars-Ardahan region is a region that has been migrating for years. Livestock, which is the livelihood of this region, has collapsed completely due to the wrong agricultural policy of the governments of the past. After the 1950s, live animals were exported to Russia. For this reason, this income has been cut in the region after the 1960s. The opening of the railway will bring life to this region again. It will prevent migration.
The project is a project with feasibility… It is calculated that it will pay for itself in 4-5 years.