Iraq-Turkey Railway Link Re-Opens

IRAQ-TURKEY RAILWAY LINK RE-OPENS

AZG DAILY
17-02-2010

Economy

The first train service in decades has set off from northern Iraq
to Turkey.

Both countries hope the re-opening of the historic rail link will
contribute to the fast-growing trade between them.

Germany began building the Berlin to Baghdad railway a century ago,
hoping to open a route through Turkey to the Gulf. It took three
decades to finish.

But the two recent conflicts in Iraq have taken a toll on the rail
network. There has been no regular service to neighbouring countries
since the 1980s.

But that should change now, with the first train leaving the city
of Mosul on Tuesday and due to arrive in the eastern Turkish city of
Gazientep 18 hours later, before making the return journey.

For a distance of just 500km (311 miles), that is pretty slow going;
running through Syria, the train has to cross two international
borders.

But the revived rail link symbolises the increasingly close ties
between the three countries.

Having overcome its fear of Kurdish nationalism, Turkey now does about
$10bn of trade with Iraq’s Kurdish regional government every year –
about 80% of goods sold there are Turkish.

Relations between Iraq and Syria are more fragile – in the past Syria
has been accused of backing the insurgents behind several big bomb
attacks in Iraq.

But trade between them – and between Syria and Turkey – is growing
rapidly.

Turkey is gradually upgrading its railway network with high-speed
routes and Iraq also plans big investments in its railways.

The Turkish government is now talking of a fast rail link running
all the way to Pakistan, BBC News reports.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS