Türkiye is shaping the infrastructure of regional trade with steps to re-establish railway connections with Syria. The new goal is to extend Türkiye’s existing railway network to the city of Aleppo. The line, which is expected to be implemented at a cost of approximately 110 million dollars, will focus especially on freight transportation. Aleppo has an existing railway connection with Damascus, and upon completion of this line, it will enable Türkiye to access interior Syria and markets further south. The second leg of the project is the recommissioning of the line between Nusaybin and Qamishli. With the implementation of this connection, it is aimed for Türkiye to establish railway integration not only with Syria but also with the Gulf region through the trade routes extending to Iraq. New projects brought the Hejaz railway, which once provided the connection between Anatolia and the Arabian peninsula, to the agenda.
COMPETITIVENESS INCREASES
From an economic perspective, these projects have the potential to directly affect costs in Türkiye’s foreign trade. Railway transportation provides advantages especially in the transportation of industrial products, energy and raw materials, as it is lower cost and higher capacity compared to road transportation.. This situation may increase the competitiveness of Turkish exporters, as well as create new employment areas through logistics, storage and customs activities in border regions.
ALEPPO TRADE REVIVES
The fact that Aleppo was one of the most important production and trade centers of Syria in the pre-war period further highlights the economic dimension of the project. With the re-establishment of the railway connection, it is expected that trade between Türkiye and Syria will revive and Aleppo will gradually recover as a regional industrial centre. On the other hand, the launch of the Nusaybin-Qamishli line may create an alternative channel for Türkiye to access the Iraqi market. Introducing the railway option in Türkiye-Iraq trade, which is currently largely carried out by road, can shorten transportation times and reduce costs.. This situation may pave the way for Türkiye to assume a more active role in the trade corridors extending to the Gulf. The projects in question also coincide with Türkiye’s goal of becoming a logistics center, which it has highlighted in recent years. It is considered that Türkiye, which is a bridge between Europe and Asia, can establish a versatile trade network if it strengthens its railway connections on the southern line.
ABDULHAMID STARTED
The historical Hejaz Railway forms the symbolic basis of these projects. II. Built between 1900 and 1908 during the reign of Abdulhamid, the line stretched between Damascus and Medina, aiming to facilitate pilgrimages and strengthen the administrative ties of the Ottoman Empire in the region.. The railway, whose total length reached approximately 1,900 kilometers with additions; It stood out as one of the most comprehensive infrastructure projects of the period with its bridges, tunnels, stations and telegraph lines.
A STRATEGIC STEP
The new projects that are on the agenda today take the function of this historical line to a different dimension. A transportation network built for religious and administrative purposes has the potential to turn into an economic corridor focused on trade and logistics in the modern era. However, the implementation of the projects will depend on factors such as security conditions in the region, political uncertainty in Syria and international sanctions. Experts point out that serious reconstruction costs may arise in regions where infrastructure is significantly destroyed.. Despite all these factors, Türkiye’s plans to reactivate the railway lines extending from Syria to the Middle East are not just a transportation project; It is considered as a strategic step towards re-establishing regional economic integration.
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