Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu represented Türkiye at the 10th Summit of the Three Seas Initiative held in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, and announced that the country has joined this important platform as a strategic partner. Türkiye’s participation in this initiative, which was launched by the Baltic, Adriatic and Black Sea countries with the aim of eliminating infrastructure deficiencies in the fields of energy, transport and digitalization in Central and Eastern Europe, is considered a critical step in terms of regional cooperation.
The Transformative Power of the Three Seas Initiative
Minister Uraloğlu expressed his belief that the Three Seas Initiative will significantly increase regional development by creating a strong connection belt on the north-south axis in Eastern and Central Europe. “Turkey has been following this initiative closely since the very beginning. In ten years, the Three Seas Initiative has transformed from an ambitious idea into a transformative force for regional development and European integration. Projects such as Via Carpatia and Rail Baltica are concrete reflections of this common vision,” he said, emphasizing the importance of the initiative.
Türkiye's Strategic Partnership Vision
Minister Uraloğlu stated that Türkiye’s strategic partnership application for the Three Seas Initiative is based on the common denominator of increasing connectivity in the fields of transportation, energy and digital infrastructures, and emphasized that Türkiye has been an important center in terms of connectivity, trade and energy throughout history with its geography located at the intersection of Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. “In this period when the world is increasingly turning to regional partnerships, Türkiye’s geostrategic location has reached a level that adds more value to partnerships than ever before,” he said.
Türkiye's Role in Europe's Access to Global Markets
Stating that Türkiye is ready to expand Europe’s access to global markets with the Middle Corridor and Development Path projects, Minister Uraloğlu said, “The Middle Corridor offers a safe, efficient and geopolitically stable alternative between Asia and Europe via the South Caucasus, the Caspian Sea and Central Asia. The Development Road project aims to create a north-south line from the Persian Gulf via Iraq and Türkiye to Europe. Therefore, Türkiye's strategic partnership, which has a transport corridor connecting the Caspian Sea and is carrying out a corridor connection project with the Persian Gulf, carries the initiative to the level of five-sea strategic partnership with the integrated corridor management it will offer to the Three Seas Initiative in accessing the Basra and Caspian Sea," he said.
Türkiye's Infrastructure Capacity and Connection Projects
Minister Uraloğlu, drawing attention to the fact that Türkiye's strategic partnership perspective is based not only on its geographical location but also on its infrastructure capacity, stated that they connect the Asian and European continents with four separate highway crossings in the Bosphorus and uninterrupted rail system transportation with Marmaray. He stated that the Asian and European continents were connected via the Turkish Straits with five overland crossings, including the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge.
Railway and Border Cooperation
Uraloğlu, who reminded that uninterrupted rail system transportation is provided with the Marmaray crossing under the Bosphorus in railway transportation, stated that they are planning a railway crossing in the middle section of the 3rd Bridge and that they are preparing an investment of approximately 5 billion dollars for this project. He also said that they signed a memorandum of understanding with Bulgaria to open a new railway border crossing and that with this crossing, they aim to prevent the capacity problem in the railway border crossing in the coming years.
Türkiye's Logistics Power and International Awards
Minister Uraloğlu emphasized that Türkiye is a logistics power at the intersection of continents with its world-class infrastructure and expanding high-speed train and highway network, and stated that their projects have been deemed worthy of numerous awards and that the Eurasia Tunnel is the first project to be awarded a certificate in the Blue Dot Network initiative launched by the OECD.
Contribution to Green and Digital Goals
Minister Uraloğlu stated that Türkiye is ready to contribute to increasing the capacity of the Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund to realize transformative projects with its vast experience in public-private sector cooperation. He also stated that national strategies for smart transportation, green logistics and digital infrastructure are in line with Europe's sustainability goals and will make valuable contributions to the green and digital goals of the Three Seas Initiative.
Energy Security and Regional Cooperation
Minister Uraloğlu, emphasizing that energy security is at the forefront for the region, stated that Türkiye has successfully adapted to changing energy dynamics and plays an active role in protecting Europe’s energy supply security. “With our strong infrastructure and clean energy potential, we will continue to contribute to the energy security of our region. Turkey is ready to build a more prosperous region with increased connectivity together with the Three Seas Initiative countries,” he said.
Regional and Global Empowerment
Minister Uraloğlu, who made a press statement after the opening ceremony, stated that the construction of an approximately 800-kilometer highway within the scope of the Three Seas Initiative is on the agenda and that Turkish contractors will also take part in these projects. “No country is self-sufficient anymore. First of all, it needs to cooperate regionally, that is, with its neighbors, and make development. The Three Seas Initiative is exactly what it says. Therefore, the more you develop regionally, the stronger you will be globally,” he said, emphasizing the importance of regional cooperation.
