Can there be an India-Middle East-Europe corridor without Turkey?
The recent confirmation of the US and EU-led plan to establish an India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, which will also be of great rail transport and logistics significance, has received the first backlash. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that there can be no such corridor without Turkey’s participation and without the utilisation of the Development Road project, namely the 1.175-km railway line that will run from the southern port of Faw in Iraq to the Turkish port of Mersin, on the Mediterranean Sea.
Subscribe to gain access to all news
Already have a subscription? Log in.
Choose your subscription
Considering a corporate subscription? Contact us to find out more.
Or
Want to read this article for free?
You can read one free article per month. Enter your email and we'll send you a free link to access the full article. No payment required.
Yes –
1/ By upgrading the existing Georgia-Azerbaijan rail route and associated harbours to tranship containers.
2/ By completing the stalled Eurasia Canal project, this would have a second advantage in refilling the depleted Caspian Sea.
3/ I have seen the suggestion once before, but a long deep canal tunnel for container barges under Georgia / Azerbaijan, Black Sea to the Caspian Sea, all locks on the Azerbaijani side.
RogerW
Yes –
1/ By upgrading the existing Georgia-Azerbaijan rail route and associated harbours to tranship containers.
2/ By completing the stalled Eurasia Canal project, this would have a second advantage in refilling the depleted Caspian Sea.
3/ I have seen the suggestion once before, but a long deep canal tunnel for container barges under Georgia / Azerbaijan, Black Sea to the Caspian Sea, all locks on the Azerbaijani side.
Although I personally think that a Barge canal would be impractical, maybe a new Georgia – Azerbaijan base tunnel for rail might work.