ERBIL, Iraqi Kurdistan -- Turkish authorities say their country is planning to open four new border crossings and a railway between Turkey and Iraq.
The projects are part of an agreement between Iraq and Turkey and are expected to boost trade ties between the two countries. Turkey is currently Iraqi Kurdistan’s major trade partner with about US$6 billion in trade in 2010, according to official Turkish sources.
“Once the new projects are operational, we can divert much of Suez Canal’s business to the Kurdistan Region,” said Hasan Kosa Uglu, the head of foreign relations’ unit at Turkey’s ministry of trade.
Two of the new borders crossings will be located east of the current major crossing known as Ibrahim Khalil at Habur Bridge. The other two will be west of Ibrahim Khalil.
The projects are within the administrative boundaries of Soran and Amedi districts of the Kurdistan Region. Three of them are expected to be used for visitor crossing between both countries and one is for trade and business.
Ogulu said, "We open these four projects to further strengthen business ties between Iraq and Turkey."
A representative from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) attended the meetings on the border crossings between Iraqi and Turkish officials.
Speaking to Rudaw, Soran Salahaddin, an advisor for the KRG Ministry of Trade, said, “If the KRG does not approve the location of a certain crossing, it won’t be constructed at that location.”
“The opening of the new gates is very important for transferring goods directly to Arab countries and the Gulf region,” Oglu told Rudaw. “It’s very important that Iraq makes proper arrangements on the border with other Arab countries, as it will make Iraq a transit route for goods and that will greatly benefit Iraq’s economy.”
Walid Shaltakh, an official in charge of the Turkey desk at Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Rudaw that one of the new gates will be used as a railway crossing.
The Iraqi government is also expected to restore an old railway that connects Mosul in the north to Basra, Iraq’s southern port on the Persian Gulf.
As part of the new plan, the Iraqi government will also build a new railway to connect Mosul to Zakho along the Turkish border.
If the Iraqi side of the railway is built, it will connect the country to Turkey's major railway network which links to European rail systems.
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