BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 14
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
The construction of a logistics center, which was launched in 2017, completed in Turkey’s Kars city, Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Adil Karaismailoglu said in an exclusive interview with Trend.
“The logistics center received goods in a test mode in December 2020 and the work is being completed to open it,” the minister said.
“The commissioning of a logistics center, which has its own railway line with a length of 16 kilometers and connecting tracks with a total length of 5.5 kilometers, will create opportunities for major activity in the field of logistics,” Karaismailoglu added.
The minister stressed that after the commissioning of the center in Kars, the Turkish logistics sector will be able to transship 412 million tons of cargo per year.
"The logistics center in Kars will be connected to the high-speed railway line in Sivas province, which will expand the capabilities of the Sivas-Kars and Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railways,” Karaismailoglu said. “The center, which will receive two million tons of cargo, will bring income worth 140.9 million Turkish lira ($16.9 million) annually."
“The logistics centers have a special place for the development of Turkey until 2023,” the minister added.
“Turkey continues to maintain leading positions in the logistics of sea, land, air and rail transport,” Karaismailoglu said. “As a result, the regional countries are interested in cooperation with it.”
“Turkey is preparing to implement large-scale projects in accordance with the Turkey Logistics Master Plan 2023 and for the further years, creating an important infrastructure that will give an impetus to the development of cargo transportation throughout the region,” the minister said.
"All ports and logistics centers are of strategic importance to us,” Karaismailoglu said. “The construction of such logistics centers as Bilecik Bozuyuk, Kayseri Bogazkopru, Izmit Kosekoy and Sivas is under completion in Turkey. Their total number will reach 15.”
“Turkey also continues to invest in the ports that will expand its maritime transport advantages in the Aegean, Mediterranean and Black Seas,” the minister said. “The port of Filyos in the western Black Sea opened on June 4.”
“During the year, it is planned to complete the construction of the Rize Idere port,” Karaismailoglu said. “The Turkish State Railways company is conducting the work in the ports of Haydarpasa and Izmir. Private enterprises are conducting the work in the ports of Derince, Bandirma, Samsun, Iskenderun and Mersin."
“After the opening of all its 25 logistics centers until 2023, Turkey will be able to additionally transport 35.6 million tons of cargo and will be able to store containers on a 12.8 million-square-meter-area,” Karaismailoglu said.
"Logistics centers will play an important role both in the field of rail transport and in the development of seaports," the minister said.