Turkey discusses reviving Gulf Transport Corridor via Syria, Jordan

Fidan’s remarks came during a dialogue on Turkish foreign policy organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Singapore today, Tuesday, June 2. He said recent developments that affected maritime transport and raised shipping costs have pushed regional countries to search for more stable and efficient land alternatives.

The Turkish minister said there are multiple options to strengthen regional connectivity through Syria, explaining that the importance of these routes is not limited to energy transport, but also includes the movement of goods, food supplies, and trade exchange between countries in the region. This would allow the creation of a more effective logistics network linking the Arabian Gulf to Europe through Syrian and Turkish territory.

Fidan added that regional transport and connectivity projects could open new prospects for economic and trade cooperation between countries in the region. They could also contribute to shared development and strengthen stability by increasing economic interdependence and facilitating trade and investment.

These remarks come as the region witnesses growing efforts to reactivate regional transport projects that were disrupted in past years because of political and security conditions, amid rising interest in establishing land and rail corridors capable of supporting supply chains and providing alternatives to traditional maritime routes.

Syrian, Turkish moves to revive rail transport

Syrian Minister of Transport Yarub Badr discussed, on May 6, with a delegation from the Technical Engineering Company of Turkish Railways, mechanisms to strengthen cooperation in the rail transport sector and revive Syria’s railway network.

Badr explained at the time that the shared vision is based on creating a rail corridor linking Turkey with Syria and Jordan, reaching Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Gulf states. He said the project meets a long-standing need to strengthen land connectivity between the Gulf region and Europe, and contributes to stimulating regional trade and developing the transport sector.

Syrian, Saudi cooperation in the transport sector

In a related context, the Syrian minister of transport discussed, on April 16, with Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistic Services Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, ways to develop bilateral cooperation in land and rail transport, and support regional connectivity projects among countries in the region.

The talks addressed facilitating the movement of transit and goods through land corridors and improving supply chain efficiency, in a way that strengthens economic integration and raises the volume of trade exchange between the countries participating in these projects.

Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding

The transport ministers of Syria, Jordan, and Turkey signed, on April 7, a memorandum of understanding to develop the transport and logistics connectivity sectors among the three countries, following expanded meetings of the joint ministerial committee concerned with strengthening cooperation in the transport sector.

The memorandum was signed during a tripartite meeting held in the Jordanian capital, Amman, with representatives of the public and private sectors and experts in transport and logistics attending.

The memorandum stipulates the creation of an institutional and technical framework for cooperation among the three countries. This includes forming joint committees and working groups, and preparing unified sectoral plans to coordinate efforts and turn understandings into executive projects supported by investment and digitisation.

The agreement also includes work to simplify border regulations and procedures, develop smart solutions in the transport sector, follow up on project implementation, and build technical and administrative capacities to ensure their long-term sustainability.

The memorandum’s clauses also focus on strengthening regional rail connectivity through a tripartite technical committee tasked with following up on implementation, alongside developing land, maritime, and rail transport, improving infrastructure, and facilitating the movement of cargo and passengers among the three countries.

[Source: Enab Baladi English]