Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated Turkey and Japan were like two wings of Asia, regarding the inauguration of Marmaray, the railway tunnel underneath the Bosphorus Strait, opened on Tuesday in Turkey's Istanbul city.
Speaking at the inauguration of Marmaray, one of world's most important projects in Uskudar district, Shinzo said the 150 years lasting dream came finally true, which connects Asia and Europe through railway.
"When I set foot in Istanbul, which is the metropolis connecting east and west on that day, when your dream of 150 years comes true, thoughts like this passed my mind. 'Peace for Asia, prosperity for Asia'. Turkey and Japan are two wings, which lets Asia fly. They are two wings of Asia," Shinzo said.
The premier noted also his gladness for having joined the project with Japan and Japanese companies for the tunnel, which links Asian and European sides 60 meters below the sea.
"Now, let's dream of a railway project which starts from Tokyo, passes Istanbul and reaches London," Shinzo added.
Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta also stated that Istanbul was becoming the center of the world with opening Marmaray project ,and added Europe and Asia were connected one more time as the historical 'Silk Road' but this time in the form of a railway.
"This is a real historical success. Great projects can only be done by great people and great political leaders," Ponta said.
"Marmaray project is an indicator of Turkey's important role as a leader in the 21st century", Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mahamud stated also in his speech during the ceremony.
Saying Turkey played an important leader role, Mahamud said "Somalia received such an attention in the Islamic world from Turkey."
Marmaray project, the greatest project connecting Asia and Europe with an uninterrupted railway transportation under the Istanbul strait is opened by the participation of Turkish President Abdullah Gul and PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Marmaray, opened on the 90th anniversary of the foundation of Republic of Turkey, is called the Project of the Century with a past of 153 years. The Project introduces many firsts to the world in terms of the innovations it carries giving momentum to the railway technologies, its technical infrastructure, its grand economic cost.
Marmaray started its first journey from Uskudar station on the Asian side at 17:19 Turkish local time an arrived in Yenikapi station on the European side at 17:39.
Marmaray will be free of charge for 15 days.
13.6-kilometer-long tunnel links Asian and European sides and it is 60 meters below the sea. It will take 4 minutes to cross from the European side to the Asian side.
The idea of the railway tunnel underneath the Bosphorus Strait was first introduced by Ottoman Sultan Abdulmajid in 1860.
The rest of the Marmaray tunnel will be opened by 2015.
It will have the capacity to carry 75,000 people per hour in either direction.
