Ministers meet in Istanbul for Development Road talks

Abdülkadir Uraloğlu/X

Transportation ministers from Turkey, the UAE, Iraq and Qatar met in Istanbul on Thursday to advance talks on the proposed Development Road project, which aims to establish uninterrupted transportation from Grand Faw Port in Iraq to London.

The project is expected to save 15 days in transportation of goods to Europe through Turkey and Iraq, Turkish transportation and infrastructure minister Abdülkadir Uraloğlu said in a post on social media platform X.

He said that the meeting focused on achieving concrete results, including planning, construction, and management models for the project.

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“With the Development Road Project, we will facilitate uninterrupted transportation from the Grand Faw Port in Iraq to London, as well as to all countries in Europe via railroads,” Uraloğlu said.

Turkey, Iraq, Qatar and the UAE signed a preliminary agreement in April to cooperate on the $17 billion project, which was launched last year.

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Farhan Al Fartousi, director general of the General Company for Ports of Iraq, last year said that the project is not just a road to move goods or passengers.

The project, which is expected to be completed in 2029 if work starts in 2024, opens the door to the development of vast areas of Iraq, he said.