CHP Leader and Presidential Candidate Kılıçdaroğlu: "We Will Revive the Historical Silk Road"

Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairperson and Nation Alliance Presidential Candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said in a video posted on his Twitter account tonight: "We will revive the historical Silk Road. So we will connect Turkey to China. We will open a fast, new trade and transport corridor, in other words, a highway... The historical Silk Road highway and railway will be approximately 5,500 kilometres long... Our foreign trade will increase by at least 50 per cent. Turkey's economic and strategic importance in the world will increase even more when hosting one of the most important trade routes between Asia and Europe. It will start to play its own game on its terms."

CHP Chairperson and Presidential Candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said the following in the video he published with the note "Neither West nor East, this is the Turkish Way."

"Dear people, dear young people;

They slander the Nation Alliance as pro-Western. While they are talking, I am announcing my biggest project today. Let them see how much I care about the West and the East... I do not distinguish between East and West. I'm wherever the interests of the Turkish state lie.

I will announce the Turkish state's project to meet with the Turkic world in real terms. This project will raise Turkey's relations with the Turkic world, which started late but are gradually beginning to settle on healthy ground.

We will revive the historical Silk Road. In other words, we will connect Turkey to China. We will open a fast, new trade and transport corridor, in other words, a motorway. We will create a high-capacity highway and double-line railway infrastructure along this corridor. The historical Silk Road motorway and railway will be approximately 5,500 kilometres long.

Now imagine you will leave Turkey through Gürbulak and Kapıköy and pass through Tabriz and Tehran in Iran, Ashgabat in Turkmenistan, Tashkent in Uzbekistan and Almaty in Kazakhstan to reach China. Thus, in the North, Gürbulak China and the countries on the corridor will be connected to European and Black Sea ports; in the South, Kapıköy will be connected to Mersin and İskenderun ports.

My dear people, about 90 per cent of international trade is carried out by sea today. This project will unite Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, which are landlocked, with Turkish ports. Turkey will become the maritime gateway of the Turkic world.

This will worry the West; they will pass their reports this evening. And I say, let them worry.

I will also have a word for China. Since this project will also be an excellent opportunity for China, it will be one of our prerequisites for them to stop the persecution they are applying to Turkistan. We will not leave our lives and blood there to their fate.

In short, let the West and China worry. Let us go about our business. This project is a project where everyone will win. We will say, 'Here you go, sit at the table with us'. The trade between the United States of America and these regions will be transited through our ports. To ensure the corridor's connection to all regions of Turkey and its connections to ports and Europe, improvements and new connections will be made in our country's road and railway transport infrastructures. Horonsan, Ağrı, and Gürbulak railway lines are at the top of the list. This transit route will have several exits for each country. Customs logistics centres will be built around the exit guilds. Export goods will reach Iran in 17 hours, Turkmenistan in 31 hours, Uzbekistan in 50 hours, and Kazakhstan in 63 hours. Our transit trade volume between Europe and these countries will grow tremendously with the historical Silk Road motorway and railway. Our foreign trade will increase by at least 50 per cent. Turkey's economic and strategic importance in the world will increase even more when hosting one of the most important trade routes between Asia and Europe. It will start to play its own game on its terms. Because with this connection, we will facilitate trade between Europe and Asia. We will ensure more cooperation and economic integration between countries.

Turkey will be vital in trade routes between Central Asia, Caucasus and China. As a result, it will become a significant country in global and regional trade, transport and logistics networks.

Apart from all these, the Historical Silk Road motorway and railway will increase the countries' political, cultural and social interaction. Our cultural and historical ties and common historical memory will become stronger. Turkey will be fully integrated with its sister geographies.

As I said, 'Turkey will compete with the world'; I have never sold dreams to my people; it is all easy. Therefore, our beautiful country will compete with the world and integrate with the Turkic world.

My dear people, Turkey deserves this more than enough.

Stay in good health."