KRI launches railway project connecting Turkey, Iran, Iraq
ERBIL, KRI, Iraq (North Press) – The Ministry of Reconstruction and Housing in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) announced on Monday the start of the first phase of a railway project that connects the KRI with Iraq, Turkey, and Iran. This project is part of the “Development Road” project.
The Minister of Reconstruction and Housing in the KRI, Dana Abdulkarim, said during a press conference that “the first phase of the project involves discussing the economic feasibility of the project, and subsequently, the project will be presented for investment and implementation in another phase.”
“The project is planned to start from the Turkish border and extends to the Iranian border, connecting the KRI with Iraqi provinces through Nineveh and Kirkuk,” according to the source.
In late May, the project map was formally announced in an Iraqi government-sponsored forum, attended by delegations from countries relevant to the project.
This strategic project links Gulf States with Iran and Iraq on the Arabian Gulf via the Faw Port, then through Turkish territories, passing through several Iraqi provinces including the cities of the KRI.
There is a prior agreement between Turkey and Iraq to establish the project, as it has a huge commercial and economic benefit for both countries.
Iraq promotes this project as a vital and important path for all countries in the region and the world.
Earlier, the Iraqi government’s spokesman, Ahmad al-Awadi, said on X, “The project has benefits for all states of the region, as Iraq welcomes all international transit projects.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani laid the foundation stone for the railway connection project at the Shalamjah border crossing in Basra province. This project aims to connect Iran to Syria through Deir ez-Zor, ultimately reaching the Mediterranean Sea, according to Iranian officials.
Earlier in March, al-Sudani announced the project with Turkey during his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey. It is an economic plan described by al-Sudani as a “dry channel” that connects the East to the West and serves as a global corridor for transporting goods and energy.
Al-Sudani mentioned that the “dry channel” project has been under continuous discussion between Iraq and Turkey at various levels.
Abdulkarim also indicated that a group of investors is ready to implement the project, which requires four billion dollars for its execution.