Ankara lays out 2027-2029 roadmap to cement global logistics hub role

Ankara has unveiled a three-year economic roadmap designed to accelerate transport processes and slash exporter costs, positioning Türkiye as a global logistics hub bridging Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa via upgraded rail corridors and maritime infrastructure.

Strategic trade corridors

The Medium-Term Program for 2027-2029 prioritizes the development of alternative and resilient trade routes across Türkiye’s east-west and north-south axes, specifically targeting the Middle Corridor and the Development Road project. Officials plan to strengthen connections along the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars and Kars-Igdir-Aralik-Dilucu railway lines alongside the Zangezur Corridor, thereby diversifying rail transport capacity from the Caspian Basin through Türkiye to European markets.

Infrastructure integration

Planned improvements to the historic Hejaz Railway in the south will facilitate uninterrupted transport links connecting Türkiye with the broader Middle East, while the Istanbul Northern Railway Crossing is set to become a critical junction. This crossing will connect freight from the Middle Corridor, the Development Road and the Persian Gulf directly to Europe, cementing an uninterrupted high-capacity railway connection that integrates ports, rail lines and roadways.

Supply chain resilience

The roadmap also emphasizes developing stronger connections between these corridors and logistics centers, organized industrial zones, production plants, airports and border crossings to boost rail’s share in overall freight transport. Ankara aims to improve overseas logistics distribution networks to integrate local firms into global supply chains and establish infrastructure for quicker, lower-cost end-to-end deliveries, while reducing foreign dependence on critical inputs and technologies against potential geopolitical shocks.

The initiatives outlined in the three-year program come amid ongoing regional conflicts and supply chain disruptions that have highlighted vulnerabilities in existing trade routes.