Erdoğan inaugurates road tunnel connecting Turkey to Caucasus

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has inaugurated a major road connection between Turkey and the entire Caucasus region through Georgia, stressing this more than a two-kilometer-long road tunnel will further connect the countries and their economies in the region.

“This road tunnel will contribute to the development of both Erzurum and Artvin as two important touristic destinations. It will also facilitate the transit transportation towards the Caucasus through these two cities,” Erdoğan said in a video message on the occasion of the inauguration of the road tunnel.

The 2,246-long Pirinkayalar Tunnel stretches from Erzurum’s Uzundere province to Georgia through the bordering town of Artvin. The investment is expected to increase the trade and economic activities between the regional countries and attract tourists.

The road tunnel will replace an old and a very dangerous mountain pass, Erdoğan said, adding the economy will save around 18 million Turkish Liras thanks to the road tunnel. It will also annually reduce 230 tons of carbon emissions in a bid to protect the environment, he informed.

The field of transportation is one of the areas that the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government has been focussing on in the past 19 years, and with strenuous efforts, the government has managed to successfully expand divided double-lane roads from 6,100 kilometers to 28,473 kilometers, the president stated.

The amount of infrastructure investments in the past 19 years has amounted to $3.5 trillion, he suggested, adding, “These investments have not been made for showing off but as the infrastructure of the growing Turkish economy and its development. Turkey has the newest and most modern development infrastructure among all developed and developing nations.”

Reiterating that they are exerting efforts to put Turkey among the top 10 economies, Erdoğan said: “We are not only going to accomplish our 2023 targets but also lay the ground for our 2053 vision. Therefore we are not just inaugurating a road tunnel but laying the foundation of a long and sacred walk for the bright future of Turkey.”