Türkiye is looking to claim its spot as an important rail hub for Eurasian traffic. The development of the Middle Corridor is offering it new opportunities, and one such opportunity may come from China. It is considering a 60 billion dollar investment in Turkish rail, to boost capacity for Eurasian traffic not transiting Russia.
With European countries interested in bypassing Russia via the Middle Corridor, China seems rather willing to make that a possibility. A 60 billion dollar investment in Turkish rail could help secure future China – Europe rail freight traffic amid strained European – Russian relations, a Turkish investment official told the South China Morning Post.
The investment is supposed to be spent on electrification, new domestic routes, a bridge in Istanbul and a high-speed line connecting it with Ankara. In that way, China reportedly wants to prevent Türkiye from becoming a weak link along the Middle Corridor.
Not the only investment in Türkiye
Besides the considered 60 billion dollar investment, China’s rolling stock manufacturer CRRC also operates a production plant in Türkiye, and is building an electric vehicle factory to bypass possible European protectionist measures.