BEIJING / ISTANBUL

Turkish international railway logistics firm Pasifik Eurasia and China Railway are joining forces to revitalize railway transportation on the Middle Corridor after a diplomatic level meeting in Beijing on May 23.

Pasifik Holding Chairman Fatih Erdogan and China Railway General Manager Song Xiude met during the visit of Türkiye's Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu to China.

The parties involved in the meeting agreed to cooperate to seize the true potential the Middle Corridor route can offer, a staple of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Erdogan told Anadolu that Pasifik Eurasia, established in 2019, is a leading company operating Türkiye’s international railway logistics, accounting for 95% of the transportation on the Baku-Tbilis-Kars (BTK) railway.

He said that Pasifik Eurasia played a key role in reviving the line after it was opened in 2017 but was left unused.

He said that Pasifik Eurasia has had the Middle Corridor vision in mind during its activities in China, with the belief that the transportation route will someday generate a large business volume, and Türkiye can realize its strategic geographical location to become a logistics center, contributing to the country’s private sector entrepreneurship.

Erdogan mentioned that the firm has achieved many firsts between Türkiye and China, such as the first block train from China to Türkiye, the first export train from Türkiye to China, and the first block train between China and Europe through the Middle Corridor.

He said the pandemic, which occurred at a time when these efforts were going to result in more success, halted operations.

Erdogan said that China has made significant investments in rail transportation as part of its Belt and Road Initiative’s land component with substantial subsidies, especially in the Eurasian Northern Corridor, running through China, Russia, and Europe.

He noted that some 20,000 freight trains use the route annually and around 2 million TEU containers are transported via the line. He said the number of trains traveling on the Middle Corridor route is only 300 per year, indicating more potential may be on the horizon.

Erdogan highlighted that the Middle Corridor should be Türkiye’s project to bring in a large-scale traffic on the route, “with Türkiye on one side and China on the other.”

“The Belt and Road Initiative is China’s project, and the Middle Corridor should be Türkiye’s project, because the line can be like the Eurasian Northern Corridor only through Türkiye,” he said.

He mentioned that the firm contacted Turkish officials and received support, as well as with Central Asian countries along the route and Chinese authorities, agencies, and private sector representatives.

Erdogan said that the head and officials of China Railway visited Türkiye last week and a subsequent meeting was held in Beijing.

During his talks with Song, Erdogan said they discussed that the cargo transported via the Middle Corridor remains limited, but Türkiye can bring the volume up with its infrastructure and transportation potential.

He stated that the agreement with China Railway marks a turning point for the Middle Corridor’s development.

Erdogan mentioned that the early stages of the Eurasian Northern Corridor faced capacity shortages, but it reached the volume it has today with support and that the Middle Corridor can gain volume the same way in time.

He stated that medium and long-term projects to enhance the Middle Corridor and the Türkiye route are still on the agenda, such as the Zengezur corridor concept from Azerbaijan to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, the Development Road between Türkiye and the Gulf, and the third bridge connecting Türkiye and Europe.

Erdogan added that the Middle Corridor will provide China access to Europe and emerging markets in the Middle East and North Africa, calling the project “a corridor of peace.”