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Turkey pushes alternative to G20’s India-Middle East trade corridor plan


Turkey pushes alternative to G20’s India-Middle East trade corridor plan​

Ankara seeks to emphasise its traditional role as a route for goods moving from Asia to Europe

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Turkey is in “intensive negotiations” over its alternative to the India-Middle East trade corridor plan that was agreed at this month’s G20 summit, as the country seeks to bolster its historic role as a transport route for goods moving from Asia to Europe.Ankara has pushed back against the proposed India-Middle East route that would transport goods from the subcontinent through the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel to European markets. The mooted corridor, backed by the US and EU as they attempt to repel China’s growing influence, would completely bypass Turkey.Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, president of Turkey, said after the G20 that “there can be no corridor without Turkey”, adding “the most appropriate route for trade from east to west must pass through Turkey”.His foreign minister Hakan Fidan has since doubled down on the scepticism, insisting this week that “experts had doubts that the primary goal [of the India-Middle East corridor] was rationality and efficiency” and suggesting “more geostrategic concerns” were at play.“

A trade route does not only mean meeting trade alone. It’s also a reflection of geostrategic competition,” Fidan said in response to a question from the Financial Times.Turkey is keen to emphasise its traditional role as a bridge between east and west, a history that dates back centuries to the silk roads.Ankara has instead touted an alternative called the Iraq Development Road initiative, with Fidan insisting “intensive negotiations” were under way with Iraq, Qatar and the UAE about a project that would be forged “within the next few months”.Map showing the planned Middle East transport corridorsThe proposed $17bn route would take goods from the Grand Faw port in oil-rich southern Iraq through 10 Iraqi provinces and into Turkey, according to diagrams released by the Baghdad government.The plan would rely on 1,200km of high-speed rail and a parallel road network. The scheme has three phases, with the first aiming for completion in 2028 and the last in 2050.

Analysts, however, say there are concerns over the feasibility of the Development Road project on financial and security grounds.“Turkey lacks the financing to realise the full scope of the project, and seems to be counting on UAE and Qatari support to build the proposed infrastructure,” said Emre Peker, Europe director at the Eurasia Group think-tank. “For that to happen, the Gulf states would need to be convinced of good returns on investment — something that is not imminently evident with the [Development Road] project.”Peker added there are also “issues around security and stability that threaten both construction and the long-term feasibility of the project”.Iraq is blighted by rampant corruption, decaying infrastructure, weak government and regular bouts of political instability. It is also not clear how Iraq will finance the project.

Analysts and western diplomats have also noted the proposed G20 corridor could also be decades in the making, if it materialised at all.Turkey has sought to straddle the strategic line between west and east by attempting to maintain strong relations with the US and EU, and also Russia and China. The approach has at times stoked tensions with the west. This week, for example, two Turkish companies were hit with US sanctions for allegedly aiding Russia’s war against Ukraine.Ankara has generally been supportive of China’s Belt & Road initiative, Peker added, but he said its role in the scheme has been limited. Beijing has made about $4bn in investments in Turkey through Belt & Road, accounting for just 1.3 per cent of the total, according to a recent study by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.Murat Yeşiltaş, director of foreign policy studies at Seta, a think-tank with links to Erdoğan’s government, said that despite the alternative proposal, Ankara could yet push to join the India-Middle East initiative.

Erdoğan may get an opportunity to make his case as soon as next week, if he meets with US counterpart Joe Biden on the sidelines of next week’s UN General Assembly.Yeşiltaş said in addition to making a case about Turkey’s convenient geographical location for trade, the country can also flex its influence in the region, particularly after its recent warming of relations with Saudi Arabia and the UAE.“Turkey wields considerable political influence in the region [and is] capable of facilitating trade negotiations and resolving disputes among the countries participating in the corridor,” Yeşiltaş said.Additional reporting by Funja Güler in Ankara
 
This project need a big investment and who is going to pay it? Western block is trying to make India big like they did it with China. How will it be able to compete against Suez Canal and Silk road? The products need to be shipped from India to KSA, and from ther to Israel and againg port to Europe?
 
This project need a big investment and who is going to pay it? Western block is trying to make India big like they did it with China. How will it be able to compete against Suez Canal and Silk road? The products need to be shipped from India to KSA, and from ther to Israel and againg port to Europe?

What silk route ? How do Indian products reach Turkey ? Through sanctions hit Iran ? or unstable Iraq ? No one is going to rely on Turkey if Erdogan insists on a drama every few weeks
 
This route is not India specific. It allows Saudis to export crude via Jordan and Israel to Europe. Jordan and Israel was much easier to deal with than Turkey.


lol

qatar, uae with iraq to europe, you can not deal with Turkey...

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I have no opinions against either route. It is easier dealing with Jordan/Israel than Iraq/Turkey.
Easier for India, not everyone else. Why needs to be given up by others for a route through Israel?
 
Thailand exports egg and poultry to Europe. Mostly to neighboring countries, but they do some business in that category with Europe.

Air cargo is expensive, but exports of flowers for example could be done quick enough with a train, and considering it’s not meant to be edible, some spoilage wouldn’t be as much an issue.

If rail freight is fast enough, transporting meat and seafood can be a large market from ASEAN countries.
Well, Europe, like other countries, protects its own farmers through tariff and non-tariff barriers. I am not sure what the potential size of the market fitis.

As for flowers, does Europe not grow enough for its needs or can it not import them from somewhere closer than ASEAN ?

Secondly,as far as I know, no contracts on any of the legs of this route, from ASEAN to Turkey, have been signed yet. As far as I know, not all countries are on the same railway gauge. I don't know how much time it would take, but i doubt it can compete with airplanes . The most important question is who will pay for all of this ? Pakistan is aready reeling from the sovereign guarantees it has given on the IPP projects.
What was the question and what was your answer?? U must be Indian right
The question was why Israel has to be on the route and the answer is because the major sponsors want it to be on it.
 
Thailand exports egg and poultry to Europe. Mostly to neighboring countries, but they do some business in that category with Europe.

Air cargo is expensive, but exports of flowers for example could be done quick enough with a train, and considering it’s not meant to be edible, some spoilage wouldn’t be as much an issue.
Can't Europe produce its own fresh food and flowers or import it from somewhere closer than ASEAN. It seems to be overkill to build a new rail line through multiple countries just for that, especially when the economics for air shipment work fine.

If rail freight is fast enough, transporting meat and seafood can be a large market from ASEAN countries.
As I said, that it a big IF. People who pay a premium for fresh food and flowers, expect them to be fresh.
But let’s start with simple things, and like you said linking two large markets. Let’s link china with the GCC. China already has a high speed line to Urumqi that is underutilized. Now if that line is extended down to Gwadar through Pakistan it can take over some of the air cargo between the two counties. Another products that may not be safe to transport by ship but can be by rail (because the rail car can be detached) is the transport of EV vehicles or lithium-ion batteries in large quantities. As demand goes up, chances of fires go up as well.

For Pakistan this would be the real CPEC. Pakistan may not be a large economy like Egypt with Suez or Panama with its canal, but its share of trans-shipment makes it valuable.

P.S. Physical integration of Chinese supply chains and manufacturing will help Chinese companies weather some of the demographic issues they are facing. When in 2050, there will be nearly 400 million Pakistanis, the labor pool and consumer market will help the Chinese consumers correct itself.
Fair enough, but why is a rail link through ASEAN, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey and the Balkans needed to connect China to GCC ?

Also, every country wants to be a transport hub. There is another thread about linking Iran to China through the Central Asian republics. I would be wary of overestimating the share of Chines trade passing through Gwadar. Pakistan is already paying dearly for having overestimated electricity demand and is locked into sovereign guarantees on Chinese IPPs, that makes the country untouchable for private foreign investors as of now.

Easier for India, not everyone else. Why needs to be given up by others for a route through Israel?
The answer is partly geopolitics. The US, EU and India are major sponsors/partners and they want Israel on the route. Plus, it is not entirely without economic basis.
 
Can't Europe produce its own fresh food and flowers or import it from somewhere closer than ASEAN. It seems to be overkill to build a new rail line through multiple countries just for that, especially when the economics for air shipment work fine.


As I said, that it a big IF. People who pay a premium for fresh food and flowers, expect them to be fresh.

Fair enough, but why is a rail link through ASEAN, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey and the Balkans needed to connect China to GCC ?

Also, every country wants to be a transport hub. There is another thread about linking Iran to China through the Central Asian republics. I would be wary of overestimating the share of Chines trade passing through Gwadar. Pakistan is already paying dearly for having overestimated electricity demand and is locked into sovereign guarantees on Chinese IPPs, that makes the country untouchable for private foreign investors as of now.

You Indians talk too much shit. You are no expert on anything. LOL Now you are going to lecture other countries what they should and should not do. Dude, just keep your nonsense to yourself.
 
Audacity of these pajeet mfkers, the mods have sunk to the newest low, allowing these hindutva gutter dwellers to now troll the whole board their avatars. Looks like sepoy surrender to hindutva forces extends to the forums as well.
 
Audacity of these pajeet mfkers, the mods have sunk to the newest low, allowing these hindutva gutter dwellers to now troll the whole board their avatars. Looks like sepoy surrender to hindutva forces extends to the forums as well.
Reported for abusive language. Hope the mods take action.
 
These two routes are not alternatives to each other. India's corridor will carry electronics and industrial products to Europe, and this corridor will carry energy products to Europe.
 
What silk route ? How do Indian products reach Turkey ? Through sanctions hit Iran ? or unstable Iraq ? No one is going to rely on Turkey if Erdogan insists on a drama every few weeks


Europe needs energy ,, not low quality Indian products

Stupid European leaders lacks strategic vision ... Strategic Leaders use their brain for hatred and jealousy


Turkiye at key role for Europe's energy needed

-- Natural gas from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan through Turkiye
-- Natural gas and oil from Qatar , S.Arabia and Iraq through Turkiye
-- Natural gas from the Eastern Mediterranean - Israel through Turkiye

and THORIUM is future of nuclear energy and Turkiye has huge Thorium reserves
( 380.000 tons of Thorium can provide Europe's 500 years electric energy )


2 alternative routes

Qatar , S.Arabia , Iraq , Turkiye - Europe

Qatar , S.Arabia , Jordan , Israel , Turkiye - Europe
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2 alternative routes

Qatar , S.Arabia , Iraq , Turkiye - Europe

Qatar , S.Arabia , Jordan , Israel , Turkiye - Europe

Jordan + Israel are easier to manage than Iraq and Turkey
 
Jordan + Israel are easier to manage than Iraq and Turkey

I am not talking about low quality Indian products to Europe

I am talking about energy pipelines to Euope from Qatar , S.Arabia , Iraq , Israel through Turkiye


Energy pipelines
through Israel, Eastern Mediterranean and Greece to Europe probably isn't feasible due to expense and difficulty of engineering
 
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