Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently stated that the integration of Türkiye’s “Middle Corridor” initiative with the high-quality Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is of great importance, as it would help connect Asia and Europe in a safer and more efficient manner.
Speaking at the Global Connectivity Forum held in Istanbul, Erdogan emphasized that current global logistics routes take around 35 days via the Suez Canal and 45 days via the Cape of Good Hope. However, once investments in the Middle Corridor are completed, the transportation time is expected to be reduced to under 15 days.
The Middle Corridor, also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, begins in China, passes through Kazakhstan and the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan and Georgia, and then extends to Türkiye and European countries. This corridor has the potential to significantly shorten the land and maritime transport time between China and Europe.
China and Türkiye signed a memorandum of understanding in 2015 to align the Belt and Road Initiative with the Middle Corridor plan.
The Global Connectivity Forum, held from June 27 to 29 in Istanbul, brought together participants to discuss the more efficient integration of global transport networks, infrastructure investments, and strengthening multilateral cooperation.