Turkey invites China for train line project

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

This photo shows a scene from Ankara-Istanbul fast train line construction. The government aims to build a new line connecting east and west ends of the country. AA photo

Turkey’s government has offered to build a planned high-speed train line crossing the country from east to west jointly with Chinese firms, daily Akşam reported April 13.

“We are planning a single high-speed train line from [the eastern border province of] Kars to [the western border province of] Edirne. We are talking to the Chinese about working on the project jointly,” Turkish Transport Minister Binali Yıldırım said. Additional lines running from north to south will intersect the main line.

Chinese financing

A large Turkish mission made a four day visit to China this week, headed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

“We asked Chinese [firms] to construct the line together with Turkey, while they provide the financing,” Yıldırım said, speaking about meetings the Turkish delegation held with Chinese firms and officials.

The intersecting high-speed train lines would originate in the northern province of Trabzon, the southern province of Adana, and the eastern province of Erzincan. The total cost of the project is estimated at $35 billion, Yıldırım said. “The Chinese side would like the details of the project to be clarified first. However, they have offered to construct the line in parts, not as a whole. We will work on the project more.” Yıldırım added that the planning process for the high-speed train line has only just begun.

Negotiations were also held with Chinese firms regarding the construction of the third Bosphorus bridge, the prime minister’s “crazy project” Kanal Istanbul, and some port construction projects, Yıldırım said. “Numerous mutual visits will be made to negotiate these projects.”