Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu spoke at the “Industrial Transport and Logistics in Practice: Connecting the Middle East and Africa” Panel held within the scope of the TransMEA 2025 Forum and Fair in Cairo, the capital of Egypt. Minister Uraloğlu stated that the fields of transport and logistics contribute not only to the economic growth of countries but also to the development of their political relations. Minister Uraloğlu explained Turkey’s transport vision and studies to the participants. Noting that Turkey’s location positions it to provide connections between Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, Minister Uraloğlu added that the country has a significant logistical position in this sense. Minister Uraloğlu said, “Under the leadership of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we have invested approximately 300 billion dollars in transportation and communication infrastructure in the last 23 years.”
Stating that they have connected Europe and Asia with road and railway structures, Minister Uraloğlu drew attention to the fact that trade historically developed along the east-west axis. Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated, “No country is self-sufficient. We believe that the East-West axis must also be supported by North-South axes. In this sense, as Turkey, which is at the center of the Middle Corridor, we are working to develop both the Development Road Project and the Three Seas Initiative, of which we are a strategic partner, which will also provide connections from the north and south.”
Stating that the Development Road Project will be realized through the cooperation of Turkey, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Uraloğlu expressed that they have an effort regarding the passage of cargo coming from the Far East to Europe via Turkey with this project.
Emphasis on Ro-Ro transport with Egypt
In his speech, Minister Uraloğlu said that recently, regarding the normalization in Syria, they have been making efforts regarding transit passage points from Syria and Jordan. Reminding them of the meeting they held with Egyptian Minister of Transport Kamil El Wazir in Ankara a year ago, Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said, “We had discussed making a connection from the Port of Aqaba to Turkey. We are also striving to implement this. Furthermore, I would like to state that we are making an effort to restart the Ro-Ro transport between Egypt and our country, which existed in the past.”
Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu emphasized that it is no longer possible for any country to be self-sufficient, stating, “Therefore, we must strengthen our trade day by day.”
Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated that the way to strengthen trade is through ensuring transportation, saying, “A great responsibility falls upon us, the transporters, at this point. We must have alternative transport routes and corridors not only in normal times but also in extraordinary times.”
