21.06.2026 01:30
Speaking at a mass inauguration ceremony in Hakkari, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu said, 'Now, not terror, but peace, tranquility, and development roam the mountains of Hakkari.' Sharing good news, Uraloglu added, 'We will contribute to faster and more reliable international trade by ensuring seamless flow to Yüksekova's industrial centers. By improving the geometry of the existing route, we will also reduce travel time from 35 minutes to 10 minutes, saving 25 minutes.'
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu attended the "Yeniköprü Tunnel, Çığlı Bridge, Zap Group Bridges, and Yüksekova Ring Road Collective Opening Ceremony" held at Yeniköprü Tunnel in Hakkari.
In his speech here, Uraloğlu expressed his pleasure at being in the city. Wishing success to the young people taking the Higher Education Institutions Exam, Uraloğlu stated that Hakkari stands out with the majesty of its untouched mountains, the glacial lakes shining on the peaks of the Cilo Mountains, and the ancient culture it has preserved for centuries.
"PEACE AND TRANQUILITY PREVAIL IN THESE MOUNTAINS" Uraloğlu emphasized that Hakkari, now freed from the dark shadow of terrorism and becoming a shining star of nature tourism, hosts guests from all over Turkey and the world, and noted the following:
"The potential of this unique geography, which remained under the shadow of terrorism for many years, was chained, and the dreams of our youth were stolen. This scourge, which imposed a heavy bill of nearly 2.5 trillion dollars on our country over almost half a century, caused great damage to all of Turkey. If these resources had been turned into production and prosperity, we would be talking about a much stronger Turkey today. Thank God, under the leadership of our President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, with the 'Terror-Free Turkey' vision, we are closing this dark chapter; there is nothing left. Now, in the mountains of Hakkari, peace, tranquility, and development prevail, not terrorism. In valleys once deemed inaccessible, tunnels are now being opened, and bridges are rising. Hakkari is turning into a tourism paradise flooded by local and foreign tourists. This magnificent geography has now become a land of peace, brotherhood, and abundance."
"WE INCREASED THE DIVIDED ROAD TO 106 KILOMETERS" Stating that as a ministry they are aware of Hakkari's potential and have implemented massive investments to strengthen the city's transportation network and expand its economic, social, and touristic potential, Uraloğlu provided the following information:
"Over the last 24 years, we have realized a huge investment of over 73 billion lira in Hakkari's transportation and communication infrastructure. In 2002, there was only 1 kilometer of divided road. We added 105 more kilometers, bringing it to 106 kilometers. Similarly, there was no hot mix asphalt road. Today, with 190 kilometers, we have introduced our Hakkari brothers and sisters to the opportunity of safe travel on hot asphalt roads. We have implemented important projects such as the Yeniköprü-Yüksekova, Yüksekova-Dağlıca, Yüksekova Junction and connections, Üzümcü-Durankaya-Geçitli roads, Dotkan-1 and Dotkan-2 bridges, the 1029-meter Çukurca Tunnel, and again Çukurca avalanche and snow tunnels. There was only a 600-meter tunnel; today, we have a tunnel length exceeding 10 kilometers. It's no small feat. In the history of the Republic, there were 50 kilometers of road; we, in our AK Party governments, have built over 10 kilometers of tunnels in Hakkari. And we continue to do so."
Underlining that the Yeniköprü-Yüksekova road is one of the lifelines of Turkey-Iran trade, Uraloğlu stated that in this context, they have transformed the existing 12-meter state road on the route into a 4-lane road with 2 lanes in each direction.
LATEST STATUS IN THE TUNNELS Stating that they have opened the 3,965-meter Yeniköprü Tunnel and the 151-meter Çığlı Bridge on this 16.3-kilometer strategic route connecting Yüksekova to the Van-Hakkari State Road today, Uraloğlu noted:
"When we opened the 3,720-meter Ordu Nefise Akçelik Tunnel in 2007, it was Turkey's longest tunnel. Today, we are opening a tunnel approaching 4,000 meters. These have now become routine tasks under our AK Party governments and the People's Alliance. With this tunnel we have opened, we have put a 5.1-kilometer section into service. In our T-2 tunnel, where we started excavation and support work in December 2023, we have achieved a 2,576-meter advance in both the right and left tubes. We have also completed the production of 660 meters of final lining concrete. God willing, we will finish the work in this tunnel in 2028 and open the entire road to service. When our project is fully completed, we will eliminate the sharp bends along the Yeniköprü-Yüksekova road, as well as the section of the road with high flood damage risk, and remove problems such as rockfall from slopes with high landslide potential."
"WE WILL REDUCE TRAVEL TIME BY 25 MINUTES" Emphasizing that they will ensure smooth traffic flow to Yüksekova's industrial centers and contribute to faster and more reliable domestic road transport and international trade, Uraloğlu continued his speech as follows:
"By improving the geometry of the existing route, we shortened the 23.3-kilometer route by 7 kilometers, reducing travel time from 35 minutes to 10 minutes, achieving a decrease of 25 minutes. Thus, we will save a total of 513 million lira annually, including 426 million lira in time and 87 million lira in fuel. We will also recoup the money spent here in a short time. We will contribute to the preservation of the city's unique nature by reducing carbon emissions from environmentally harmful vehicles by 4,132 tons. With the Yüksekova Ring Road, which we are also putting into service today, we have relieved traffic congestion in the city center by redirecting transit traffic passing through the city center to outside the city. We have reduced the city crossing distance to 7.1 kilometers and travel time from 12 minutes to 4 minutes."
ANOTHER GOOD NEWS Explaining that they have carried out a historic renovation process on the Zap Bridges, located on the Zap River and serving as the city's pulse, reconstructing all of them from scratch, Uraloğlu stated that they have put earthquake-resistant, modern, and long-lasting new bridges into service, and also built a 7-kilometer connection road for these bridges, which total 312 meters in length as reinforced concrete structures.
"Since these bridges are located on the only route providing access to Hakkari city center, they have an irreplaceable importance," said Uraloğlu, adding, "Therefore, we have implemented a strategic investment that fundamentally strengthens our transportation security in a region with high seismicity. We have now secured continuity in transportation even in emergencies. The logistical processes of our economic activities such as agriculture, livestock, and border trade will operate much more efficiently, and Hakkari's commercial dynamism will gain momentum. Additionally, I want to give you another piece of good news. We are starting work to convert the section of the route from the Yeniköprü junction to the Hakkari city center, between Yeniköprü and Depin, into a hot mix asphalt coating."
used the phrases.
Stating that they are leaving the glacial lakes of the Cilo Mountains, lush plateaus, and pristine air as a legacy to future generations by harnessing the economic wind brought by these strategic projects they inaugurated, Uraloğlu concluded his speech as follows: "With our Turkey Century vision and our investment, production, employment, and export-oriented policies, we will continue to make every corner of Hakkari suitable for the requirements of the era. Our glorious flag waving on the peaks of Cilo, our brotherhood songs echoing in the waters of the Zap, this region is now becoming the address of peace, abundance, and the future, thank God. There was a major landslide here. Under the coordination of our Governorship, with our Ministry of National Defense, our Highways, and all our institutions, we built those roads in 22 days. We set up 2 panels and presented them for your service. Even thinking about this might have taken months, but we made an immediate decision and did not allow you to be further victimized. I thank everyone who contributed there."
"OUR CITIZENS WILL GAIN SAFE TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES" Hakkari Governor and Acting Mayor İbrahim Taşyapan expressed their joy in holding the mass opening of important investments that strengthen the city's transportation infrastructure.
Pointing out that due to the province's geographical conditions, transportation investments always require special attention, Taşyapan noted the following: "The 3,965-meter-long double-tube Yeniköprü Tunnel, the Çığlı Bridge, and the Zap Group Bridges opened for service today will make our province's transportation network safer, more comfortable, and more uninterrupted. Thanks to these investments, the negative effects of challenging climate and terrain conditions on transportation will be significantly reduced, our citizens will have safer travel opportunities, and the economic and social mobility of the region will be further strengthened."