Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim announced Thursday that the Ankara-Eskisehir leg of Türkiye's high-speed rail project is on track for completion by the end of 2006, with the Eskisehir-Istanbul segment to follow in 2009.
Yildirim made the remarks at a Turkish-French colloquium on urban and railway transportation held in Ankara. He also confirmed that the Marmaray project, which will place a rail tunnel under the Istanbul Strait, is likewise scheduled for completion in 2009.
The minister noted that Türkiye places strong emphasis on building out its transportation infrastructure, calling it a key driver of national competitiveness. He suggested that Turkish-French cooperation could be broadened across rail, maritime, and aviation sectors.
French Foreign Trade Minister Christine Lagarde said Türkiye's progress in reducing inflation would help open the door to greater public investment. She stressed France's interest in maintaining strong ties with Türkiye and indicated that French companies are eager to share railway expertise with Turkish partners. The two-day colloquium was set to conclude the following day.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in June 2006, in its own words.