Ankara has already benefited from Russia's isolation in the aviation sector, and now China and European countries are looking to increase land-based shipments through Turkiye.
"China is interested in the modernization of Turkiye’s railway network, which European cargo shippers may see as a way to bypass Russia amid the ongoing war with Ukraine," the article says. “Investments could amount to around $60 billion.”
Jayant Menon, a senior fellow at the leading Singaporean research center ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, says that China hopes to use Turkiye's railway network to increase cargo shipments to and from Europe. European suppliers, while still able to send cargo trains through Russia, are trying to avoid routes that pass through or near Russia and Ukraine. Therefore, the route through Turkiye is being considered for faster connectivity within the China-Europe Railway Express system.
"However, Turkiye, although used for supplies along with Azerbaijan and Georgia, will remain a 'weak link' without the necessary development," Menon says. "One breakdown on the route, and the entire network stops working."
According to Statista, the volume of cargo transported in the China-Europe Railway Express system through various countries reached approximately 1.9 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2023, compared to 1,400 units in 2011.
Russian Railways have experienced a sharp decline in cargo transportation for the third consecutive year due to sanctions affecting exports and increasing difficulties in managing train movements. By the end of 2024, the load on the Russian Railways network fell by 4.1%, to 1.181 billion tons.