The panel entitled “From the Middle Corridor to a Shared Production Ecosystem: An Economic Model in the Turkic World” was held as part of the Turkic World Dialogue Forum organised by the Directorate of Communications.
Speaking at the opening of the panel, Binali Yıldırım, Chairman of the Council of Elders of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), stated that the present and future of the Turkic world had been discussed at the 13th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the OTS, held in Ankara, and that a highly significant declaration had been shared with the public.
Yıldırım drew attention to the fact that 800 million people were living in extreme poverty in a world marked by considerable uncertainty and limited economic growth.
Stating that the Turkic states were working to address these imbalances and inequalities at the global level, Yıldırım emphasised that the Middle Corridor should not be regarded merely as a transport route.
Yıldırım noted that the Middle Corridor offered the highest added value among the routes compared with the Northern and Southern Corridors, stressing that transportation was not trade in itself but rather a means of increasing trade.
“The TRNC is an integral and indispensable member of the Turkic world”
Pointing out that the volume of freight transported along the Middle Corridor could be increased to 30 million tonnes, Yıldırım stated that efforts should be made to reduce transit times and facilitate transfers between different modes of transport.
Yıldırım said that the OTS was responsible for identifying the strengths and weaknesses of its member states in this regard, enabling them to capitalise on their respective advantages.
Emphasising that transportation was only one component of the Middle Corridor, Yıldırım said, "The Middle Corridor is a corridor of prosperity, an economic corridor, a corridor of history and a corridor of culture. What we need to do is establish joint production facilities and joint logistics centres along the entire length of the corridor, from beginning to end.”
Stating that certain countries were attempting to unlawfully plunder the resources of the Eastern Mediterranean, Yıldırım concluded his remarks as follows:
“Our rights and interests arising from international maritime law are being disregarded. We will never allow this. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is an integral and indispensable member of the Turkic world. It is as clear as that. Therefore, subjecting Cyprus to isolation and depriving its people of the opportunities arising from global and regional developments is incompatible with both humanity and international law. We will continue to pursue this cause, and as Turkic states, we will do everything in our power.”
“The strategic value of the Middle Corridor is increasing”
During the panel discussion moderated by Prof. Ragıp Kutay Karaca, Vice Rector at İstanbul Aydın University, Şamil Ayrım, Chairman of the Türkiye-Azerbaijan Interparliamentary Friendship Group at the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye and AK Party Member of Parliament for İstanbul, stated that the region, stretching between Asia and Europe, has throughout history been a meeting point for trade, culture and civilisations.
Emphasising that the strategic value of the Middle Corridor is increasing as reliability, speed and route diversity become increasingly important in global trade, Ayrım said, “Effective access to world markets is of vital importance, particularly for our landlocked countries, in terms of economic growth and diversification. However, we will measure the true success of the Middle Corridor by the investment it brings to our cities, the markets it opens up for our businesses, and the employment it provides for our young people."
Emphasis on joint efforts along the Middle Corridor
Faculty Member at the Eastern Mediterranean University, Prof. Eda Becer noted that a process of restructuring is taking place within the global system and that this change presents Turkish states with a historic opportunity to build a shared future.
Stating that this opportunity should be put to good use, Becer indicated, "We must transform the Middle Corridor into more than just a transport network; it must become a model in which we produce together, invest together and develop together."
Faculty Member at the Department of Economy, Finance and Accounting at Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University, Dr. Lesbek Taizhanov, on the other hand, highlighted the potential for transforming the geographical interconnectedness and historical unity of the Turkic world into a shared value.
Taizhanov, pointing out that the next stage of cooperation should involve transforming transport routes into production networks, investment partnerships and regional value chains, added, "The issue is not merely how efficiently goods can pass through our countries, but how much value our countries can add to them before they reach their final markets."
Faculty Member at the Journalism and Mass Communications University of Uzbekistan, Assoc. Prof. Bekmukhammad Tursunov said it was necessary to conduct a survey of production potential to increase mutual trade among the Turkic states and identify priority industrial sectors.
Tursunov emphasised that sharing innovation among OTS countries would bring mutual benefits to all parties by creating innovative technology markets and fostering specialisation.
