Historic step for the Zangezur Corridor: The foundation of the Kars-Iğdır-Aralık-Dilucu Railway Line has been laid.

22.08.2025 19:18

The groundbreaking ceremony for the "Kars-Iğdır-Aralık-Dilucu Railway Line," which will be integrated into the Zangezur Corridor connecting Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan, has been held. Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated, "This project is a roadmap for international peace and prosperity; it will usher in a golden age for global trade for the entire world."

```html

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the "Kars-Iğdır-Aralık-Dilucu Railway Line" in Iğdır.

"WE WILL OPEN THE DOOR OF THE ZANGEZUR CORRIDOR TO THE FULLEST"

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated that they would open the door of the Zangezur Corridor to the fullest and initiate a new era of peace and prosperity in the South Caucasus. Expressing their excitement and happiness in starting the construction works of the Kars-Iğdır-Aralık-Dilucu Railway Line, Minister Uraloğlu noted that Turkey is at the intersection of continents, civilizations, and ancient transportation corridors such as the Historical Silk and Spice Roads, both geographically and culturally.

"WE ARE STARTING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A STEEL INTERNATIONAL LINK"

Stating that the country is a natural bridge in the east-west corridor between Asia and Europe, as well as being right in the middle of the corridor extending from the Caucasus countries to Africa, he said: "Especially the recent political developments in the world have once again highlighted the strategic importance of the 'Middle Corridor', where our country is a key point. In this regard, within the scope of the development of the Middle Corridor, we have implemented mega projects such as Marmaray, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway, the Eurasia Tunnel, and the Yavuz Sultan Selim, Osmangazi, and 1915 Çanakkale Bridges, and we continue with our new proactive projects. Today, we are not just laying the foundation of a railway line; we are starting the construction of a steel international link that will connect Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, further strengthening the socio-economic relations between Asia and Europe, extending from China to Europe. As you know, transportation is the meeting point of civilizations, the bridge of nations, and the lifeblood of economies. It is the key to development, unity, and cultural journeys. Railways are one of the strong, environmentally friendly, and economical routes of this journey. With this understanding, under the leadership of our President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, since 2002, we have treated our railways as a state policy and identified them as one of the priority sectors. By ensuring the connection of our railway lines to ports, organized industrial zones, and logistics centers, we have approached our railways with a new understanding suitable for combined transportation. With our projects, we planned to make railway transportation contribute to the economy not only along the east-west line but also between our north-south coasts. We continue the modernization of our existing lines. In the last 23 years, we have invested approximately 64 billion dollars in our railways. In 2002, our railway length was approximately 11,000 kilometers, and by 2025, we will have added approximately 3,000 kilometers, including 2,251 kilometers of high-speed and fast train lines. We have increased the length of our railway network to 13,919 kilometers. With visionary projects like Marmaray and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway, we have made Turkey the center of the Iron Silk Road extending from Asia to Europe. With these two proactive projects we have implemented, the critical role our country plays in international freight movements in the east-west direction has strengthened our logistical power."

"WE ARE MAKING A MARK ON THE FUTURE"

Minister Uraloğlu stated, "Today, by taking one of the most concrete first steps to realize the Kars-Iğdır-Aralık-Dilucu railway line and the Zangezur Corridor, we are making a mark not only on Turkey's future but also on the future of the entire South Caucasus and Eurasia. This project is a roadmap for international peace and prosperity. The Zangezur Corridor will strengthen economic cooperation between Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia and will reinforce regional peace. It will initiate a golden age for global trade, especially for the countries that are stakeholders in the Middle Corridor. It will increase economic cooperation in the South Caucasus and accelerate the opening of borders and the normalization of diplomatic relations," he said.

IT WILL HAVE A CAPACITY OF 5.5 MILLION PASSENGERS AND 15 MILLION TONS OF CARGO PER YEAR

Providing information about the Zangezur Corridor, Minister Uraloğlu said, "We will construct our Kars-Iğdır-Aralık-Dilucu Railway Line, which is 224 kilometers long, as a double-track, electric, and signaled line. This line, which will have a capacity of 5.5 million passengers and 15 million tons of cargo per year, will be an engineering marvel with 5 tunnels, 19 cut-and-cover tunnels, 3 viaducts, 10 bridges, 144 underpasses, 27 overpasses, and 480 culverts. The Zangezur Corridor's socio-economic, geopolitical, and geostrategic features connecting Central Asia, the Caspian Region, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to Turkey will also positively reflect on regional and global trade. With the construction of the sections of the corridor in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, the realization of the Zangezur Corridor will make the international trade route extending from China to England more efficient. By supporting global networks such as the Trans-Caspian Transport Route and the International North-South Transport Corridor, it will strengthen the supply lines of Eurasia. By connecting the Caspian and Mediterranean basins, it will greatly contribute to the production capacity, exports, and development of transportation infrastructure in Turkey's Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia regions, as well as support the development of the tourism capacity in the Mediterranean region," he said.

"THE PROJECT SHOWCASES TURKEY'S CONTRIBUTION TO REGIONAL PEACE"

Stating that Turkey will strengthen its cooperation with regional and global actors through the project, Minister Uraloğlu said, "It proves once again its geopolitical and geoeconomic importance."

```Sure! Here is the translated text while preserving the existing HTML structure, including the translation of the `title` and `alt` attributes within any `img` tags:



```html

This project once again showcases Turkey's vision of mediation under the leadership of our esteemed President and its contribution to regional peace. As a geostrategic island of security in the region, our country presents a vision that considers not only its own interests but also the welfare of all regional countries and the future of global trade with this project. With this project, we are once again highlighting the historical and strategic importance of Kars. Kars will be the steel gate of this line. The agricultural and industrial potential of Iğdır will be opened to global markets. Aralık and Dilucu will become key points in the international trade network of the Zangezur Corridor. While bringing such new projects to life, we are also continuing the construction of important railway projects such as Halkalı-Kapıkule, Ankara-İzmir, Karaman-Ulukışla, Bandırma-Bursa-Yenişehir-Osmaneli, Mersin-Adana-Osmaniye-Gaziantep, and Yerköy-Kayseri High-Speed Train Lines. We aim to increase the share of rail freight transport from 5% to 22% by expanding our railway network to 17,500 kilometers by 2028 and to 28,600 kilometers by 2053. We are resolutely continuing to implement infrastructure projects that will enhance Turkey's logistical power, increase our competitiveness, and improve our efficiency. The Kars-Iğdır-Aralık-Dilucu Railway Line is much more than just a railway. This line will resonate on the international stage, solidifying Turkey's geostrategic leadership; it is the path of unity, prosperity, and peace. It will strengthen Turkey's export targets, broaden the horizons of our youth, and bring smiles to the faces of our industrialists and tradespeople. With these thoughts, I hope that this work, which will rise with the labor of everyone from workers to engineers, will be beneficial for our region, our nation, and the whole world," he said.

After the speeches, the foundation of the Kars-Iğdır-Aralık-Dilucu Railway Line was laid.