Different evaluations can be made until international projects in which Turkey is a part or an important part or even a pioneer due to its geographical location are implemented and put into service. The strange thing is that since those who make this assessment are those who deal with current issues, unfortunately their approaches do not match the facts. Or it does not contain details that will shed light on the quality development of the project. An idea is not produced by examining similar projects. Such a danger awaits the Development Road Project. It is useful to warn from the beginning. You ask why?
First of all, it is a great value that it connects the Persian Gulf to Europe via Turkey via rail system and road, and there is no alternative. It is possible that all countries on the transition route will receive a return commensurate with their investments in the project. However, countries and companies that do not have the chance to intervene in such important projects from the outside try to make the project expensive and impose additional burdens and responsibilities on the relevant countries through secret obstruction attempts with different tactics. The companies that will use this place also make interesting attempts to obtain some rights in their favor.
For example, such a situation occurred in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) Crude Oil Pipeline Project. Türkiye suffered losses due to the operation of this line for a long time due to the British BP. Due to BTC’s strategic importance for sister countries Azerbaijan and Türkiye, it incurred its financial burden due to BP’s tactics. Since BP is the dominant operator of oil extracted from the Caspian Sea and marketed to the world with BTC, it has implemented very interesting tactics.
BP also made efforts to block BTC due to the alternative pipeline developed for the Black Sea that bypasses Turkey. He even brought up that Turkey would not be able to finance BTC or find resources due to the big earthquake. I also experienced serious difficulties because I wrote and reported on these issues at that time. Yurdakul Yiğitgüden, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy at the time, is one of the best witnesses of this period.
Britain and BP, which pressured Turkey and Azerbaijan on various occasions and tried to prevent BTC, thus prevented the two countries from fully focusing on this project and making efforts to provide maximum benefit to the two countries when the pipeline was put into service. When did we realize this? When BTC was put into service and the losses caused by Turkey due to this project began to be discussed, British vigilance emerged. BP, which wanted to block the project at the beginning, started to praise the project tremendously when it did not get what it wanted. He put it on our agenda as the “Project of the Century”. When BTC Co, the main operator of the BTC Crude Oil Pipeline, and BOTAŞ International Limited (BIL), which operates the line over Turkey, were sued in 2008 due to the damage they caused, we began to understand the reasons.
BIL suffered a loss of 208 million dollars due to the operation of BTC in 2008, and it was noted that the loss was constantly growing. The issue was also reflected in the “Prime Ministry High Supervisory Board” reports of the period. However, while Azerbaijan’s world’s best quality oil was going to global markets via Ceyhan, Turkey had planned to obtain a reasonable level of transit fee.
In order to avoid experiencing similar problems in the Development Road Project, it is necessary to be careful about bullies. We need to stop constantly praising the project, focus on its details, let experts on this subject talk and listen to them. Large projects cannot progress healthily with those who polish a different subject every day.
As a result, it is necessary to carefully monitor the open or secret approaches of countries such as Iran to the Development Road Project, which will change many balances in the region, contribute to the prevention of instability, and has the potential to curb terrorism. As a result, a quadruple memorandum of understanding was signed regarding cooperation in the Development Road Project. 4 countries under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani; Iraq, Türkiye, Qatar and the UAE have put an end to this. President Erdoğan’s visit to Baghdad has historical value in this respect. However, after this stage, relevant bureaucrats and non-governmental organizations must thoroughly support this project.
The Development Road Project includes the establishment of a 1200-kilometer railway line between the Great FAV Port in the Persian Gulf and the southern border of Turkey. The project, planned to be completed in 2028, is expected to cost 17 billion dollars. When completed, it is expected to provide uninterrupted transportation from FAV Port in Iraq to London and every country in Europe by road and rail from Turkey.
Now, it is one thing to put such a project into service, but it is another thing to operate this line in a quality, efficient, problem-free and maximum benefit manner…
It is known that Turkish registered road vehicles departing from Turkey, carrying Turkish export products and bringing imported products are experiencing serious problems at the borders and encounter great difficulties in obtaining a pass document (dozvola). Even sister countries such as Azerbaijan applied astronomical tariffs to Turkish trucks during the Karabakh War, all other countries; We have also experienced that countries like Russia and Georgia were forced to pay twice the toll. I was one of those who brought this issue to the agenda.
As can be understood, these and similar problems need to be considered before the project is put into service. Otherwise, other countries’ trucks and trains will transport through our country and we will see. Let me remind you of a more serious issue. For years, foreign registered vehicles have used our country’s bridges, highways and tunnels free of charge. They didn’t even pay a traffic ticket. Because we could not establish such a system. I wrote articles on this subject for 10 years, but I could not get any results. I couldn’t even find a position to give an explanation. I don’t know what the current situation is with bridges, highways and tunnels and traffic fines for foreign vehicles. It was said that it was resolved for a while, but I don’t know the outcome. I’m waiting for the authorities to make a statement on this issue.
For example, how much was collected from foreign registered vehicles passing through bridges, highways and tunnels in 2023? How many traffic tickets were issued and how much payment was received? Let’s see if anyone will answer or make a statement.
Türkiye needs to quickly solve such problems, improve them and make them user-friendly. Otherwise, it is easiest to speculate on the future of the Development Road Project, which has just been signed, and to say that it will connect the east-west corridors in the north-south direction. Currently, Turkish truck drivers cannot obtain an EU visa, so we are experiencing problems in land transportation. This issue is somewhat related to our country. There are problems not only with visas but also with the products we send.
In summary; The Development Road Project is an important initiative that will strengthen the economic and geopolitical status of our country and region. It is a value that will contribute to our goal of becoming a central country in energy. We need to start working hard to surround it now.
Tags: Development Path Project bring Turkey
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