Minister Uraloğlu announces: 5G tender is coming

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdülkadir Uraloğlu met with journalists ahead of the International Transport Corridors Forum to be held on June 27-29. During the press conference, he made important statements regarding the 5G process, one of the biggest steps in the field of mobile communication.

Minister Uraloğlu stated that the 5G frequency tender will be held in August, saying, “If there are no setbacks, we will hold this tender in August. We aim to receive the first network signal next year.”

Stating that the 5G transition will not cover the entire country in the first stage, but rather large cities with high density, Uraloğlu reminded that a similar transition process was followed for 4.5G.

ISRAEL-IRAN TENSION HITS TURKISH AIRCRAFT

The meeting also touched upon the risky situations in the airspace due to the war between Israel and Iran. Uraloğlu announced that some Turkish passenger aircraft were stranded in the region due to air traffic over the conflict line.

Accordingly, a total of 11 passenger aircraft, seven in Iran and four in Iraq, could not return due to the risk of war. The crews of these aircraft, which belong to Pegasus, THY, AJet, and Tailwind airlines, have returned to Turkey. Uraloğlu stated that the aircraft would also be brought back to Turkey at the first safe opportunity.

DEVELOPMENT ROAD PROJECT 95 PERCENT COMPLETE

Also on Uraloğlu's agenda was the highly significant Development Road Project, which will connect Turkey and Iraq. The feasibility studies for the project, which will start from the Faw Port in the Persian Gulf and reach Turkey via the Ovaköy border crossing in Şırnak, are nearing an end.

“The project is 95 percent complete,” said Uraloğlu, noting that some technical details are being worked on, especially in areas close to the Turkish border.

According to the presentation, new railway lines will be built on the Turkish side from Ovaköy to Mardin, Şanlıurfa, and Gaziantep. New connections are also planned for the northern crossing of Istanbul. Existing lines will be expanded on the Çukurova-Niğde and Konya-Eskişehir routes.

The total cost of the investments on the Turkish side will be 23.9 billion dollars. 8 billion dollars of this amount has already been transferred to ongoing projects. With the project, a total economic activity of 50 billion dollars is targeted over the next 10 years.

Stating that the establishment of a joint fund with the initiative of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates is being evaluated for financing, Uraloğlu said, “Investor countries can play an active role not only in financing but also in revitalizing the corridor.”

JOINT COMPANY TO BE ESTABLISHED, CONSTRUCTION MAY BEGIN NEXT YEAR

Uraloğlu noted that in the first phase of the project, Iraq and Turkey could establish a joint company to carry out the construction process, and that negotiations on this matter are progressing positively. He said that if financing is secured, construction could begin in 2026.

WILL BE AN ALTERNATIVE TRADE ROUTE

The Development Road aims to be the first serious foreign trade route for Iraq outside the Strait of Hormuz. It is projected that cargo departing from China's northeastern ports could reach Europe via this route in 25 days.