ANKARA

Türkiye and Kazakhstan signed a railway cooperation deal that aims to increase freight transport capacity and service quality along the Middle Corridor, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said.

The agreement, concluded during Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s recent visit to Türkiye, was hailed by both sides as a milestone in strategic logistics cooperation.

“We will launch regular block train services between Türkiye and Kazakhstan, and freight traffic on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line will increase,” Uraloglu told Anadolu.

He said the agreement would enable two-way cargo movement on China–Europe and China–Africa routes, support multi-modal infrastructure, and implement competitive tariffs to attract more freight operators.

The deal also includes collaboration in key areas such as digitalization, customs streamlining, and joint investment initiatives.

“Equipment transfer, know-how sharing, simplified customs procedures, and the wider use of digital tools in transport documentation are among the focus areas,” Uraloglu said.

He added that the agreement aims to boost the global logistics roles of both Türkiye and Kazakhstan, strengthen the Middle Corridor’s competitiveness, and deepen regional economic integration.