43 billion 185 million lira investment in transportation and communication in Şırnak over 22 years

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated, “In the last 22 years, we have invested 43 billion 185 million lira for the development of Şırnak’s transportation and communication infrastructure.”

Minister Uraloğlu, who came to Şırnak to attend a series of programs, visited the Şırnak Governorship. After holding an evaluation meeting with Governor Cevdet Atay and accompanying officials, Minister Uraloğlu made statements to journalists.

Stating that they continue to take steps to build the Century of Turkey under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Minister Uraloğlu said that as the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, they have intricately woven the country’s transportation and communication network with their road, railway, air, sea, and communication projects, and that they have increased the divided road length they inherited in 2002 from 6,101 kilometers to approximately 29,434 kilometers.

Reminding that the number of cities connected by divided roads has increased from 6 to 77, Minister Uraloğlu said, “We made Turkey the 6th in Europe and the 8th in the world in high-speed train operation. By connecting our country with high-speed trains, we built a 2,251-kilometer high-speed train network. We have taken a leap in aviation. We increased the number of active airports in domestic flights from 26 to 57. While flights were being conducted to 60 points in 50 countries, today we have reached 346 points in 131 countries.”

Expressing that they will also inaugurate the Çukurova International Airport on August 10, Minister Uraloğlu continued his remarks as follows:

“Our broadband subscriber count was 20 thousand in 2002, while today it has reached 93.3 million, and our fiber optic cable length has increased to 561,695 kilometers. In the Century of Turkey, as in every field, we continue to achieve great successes globally in the field of communication. This month, we successfully launched TÜRKSAT 6A, our country’s first domestic and national communication satellite, into its first orbit. All stages have been successfully completed and we have started the testing process in its temporary orbit. God willing, by the end of the year, it will reach its permanent orbit at 42 degrees east and start service. Now, India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia will also be included in our coverage area. The population reached by Turkey’s satellites will increase from 3.5 billion to 5 billion.”

Minister Uraloğlu stated that they said whatever is in the West will also be in the East, and added, “We are implementing housing projects for our people, opening workplaces for trade to develop, building schools so that our children can study in the best facilities. As the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, we are working in every mode of transport and communication, building roads and airports. However, unfortunately, in our Tendürek Pass, Çatak-Şırnak, and Van-Hakkâri road construction sites, our construction machinery was burned in raids in 2017, and 4 of our brothers were martyred. However, we have not given up until today, and we will not give up from now on. Look, in the last 22 years, we have invested 43 billion 185 million lira for the development of Şırnak’s transportation and communication infrastructure.”

“We are also continuing 10 separate highway projects with a project cost of 17 billion 812 million lira.”

Stating that they attach great importance to the development of Şırnak’s highway transportation network, Minister Uraloğlu said, “Until 2002, there was only 25 kilometers of divided road, while we constructed an additional 172 kilometers of divided road, reaching a total of 197 kilometers. While only 20 kilometers of the roads were BSK coated, we increased it to a total of 254 kilometers by applying BSK coating to an additional 234 kilometers. We opened 6 tunnels, including 4 single-tube and 2 double-tube tunnels, with a total length of 4,955 meters. We built 43 bridges with a total length of 4,190 meters. We are also continuing 10 separate highway projects with a project cost of 17 billion 812 million lira. Before coming here, we conducted inspections on the Cizre – Silopi Road. We had started the BSK repair for the 21.8-kilometer section of the road from the Cizre Bridge Interchange to the Silopi Ring Road entrance. So far, we have completed 10.5 kilometers of this section at the binder level. We aim to complete another 5 kilometers of this section within this year. Under the current tender, we will complete a 15.5-kilometer section at the wear level. We aim to go for a supplementary tender for the remaining 6.3-kilometer section as soon as possible.”

“We will provide uninterrupted access to every country in Europe from FAV Port to London via road and rail.”

Touching on the Development Road Project, Minister Uraloğlu stated, “We are bringing to life a significant trade corridor that will start from the FAV Port being constructed in the Persian Gulf, reaching Şırnak Ovaköy, then to Şanlıurfa and to the Kapıkule Border Gate, opening to the Aegean, Black Sea, and Mediterranean. We will provide uninterrupted access to every country in Europe from FAV Port to London via road and rail. With the Development Road Project, which we call the New Silk Road, we will further strengthen our country’s economic and geopolitical status. The railway crossing from our country to Europe on this corridor will be 2,094 kilometers. In addition to our existing and ongoing railway investments along the corridor, we have planned the implementation of 727 kilometers of railway investment, including 127 kilometers between Nusaybin-Cizre-Ovaköy. Our work is ongoing to proceed with the construction tender for the Nusaybin-Cizre-Ovaköy section. Additionally, we have also planned to establish 5 more logistics centers along the Development Corridor in Tekirdağ (Çerkezköy), Istanbul (Yeşilbayır), Bilecik, Mardin, and Şırnak (Ovaköy).”

Minister Uraloğlu noted that a logistics center would also be established in Şırnak Ovaköy as part of the project:

“We plan to complete the highway transition of the project in Turkey by investing in a new highway of 331 kilometers between Şanlıurfa and Ovaköy. Of course, the opening of the Ovaköy Border Gate is also on the agenda, which is of great importance for the local residents. With the project, we expect the increase of our exports, the increase of job opportunities provided to our youth, and the development of infrastructure that will trigger more production.”

Reminding that they opened Şırnak Şerafettin Elçi Airport in 2013, Minister Uraloğlu said, “There were those who looked at the opening of this airport as a dream. When they saw it being built, they tried to discourage us. But we did not give up, we did not listen to threats. When they realized they could not discourage us, they said, ‘They are building this airport for military purposes, not for service.’ This airport is to serve Şırnak, the people of Şırnak, and the people of the region, to connect the east and west in the fastest and most comfortable way. The fact that the name of the airport has been given after our late parliamentarians, ‘Şerafettin Elçi,’ who has a place in the hearts of the local people, is the best proof of this. There are reciprocal flights organized 7 days a week to Istanbul Airport and 6 days a week to Esenboğa Airport, and 4 days a week to Sabiha Gökçen Airport. Passenger traffic, which was 39 thousand in 2013, reached approximately 402 thousand in 2023. In the first 6 months of this year, over 215 thousand of our citizens traveled by air.