Pasifik Eurasia joins forces with China Railway for Middle Corridor

ISTANBUL

Turkish international railway logistics firm Pasifik Eurasia and China Railway are joining forces to revitalize railway transportation on the Middle Corridor after a diplomatic-level meeting in Beijing on May 23.

Pasifik Holding Chairman Fatih Erdoğan and China Railway General Manager Song Xiude met during the visit of Türkiye's Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu to China.

The parties involved in the meeting agreed to cooperate to seize the true potential the Middle Corridor route can offer, a staple of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Erdoğan told state-run Anadolu Agency that Pasifik Eurasia has had the Middle Corridor vision in mind during its activities in China, with the belief that the transportation route will someday generate a large business volume.

He highlighted that the Middle Corridor should be Türkiye’s project to bring in large-scale traffic on the route, “with Türkiye on one side and China on the other.”

“The Belt and Road Initiative is China’s project, and the Middle Corridor should be Türkiye’s project, because the line can be like the Eurasian Northern Corridor only through Türkiye,” he said.

He mentioned that the firm contacted Turkish officials and received support, as well as Central Asian countries along the route and Chinese authorities, agencies and private sector representatives.

Erdoğan said that the head and officials of China Railway visited Türkiye last week and a subsequent meeting was held in Beijing.

During his talks with Song, Erdoğan said they discussed that the cargo transported via the Middle Corridor remains limited but that Türkiye can bring the volume up with its infrastructure and transportation potential.

He said that the agreement with China Railway marks a turning point for the Middle Corridor’s development.

He further stated that medium and long-term projects to enhance the Middle Corridor and the Türkiye route are still on the agenda, such as the Zengezur corridor concept from Azerbaijan to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, the Development Road between Türkiye and the Gulf, and the third bridge connecting Türkiye and Europe.