ISTANBUL: Turkey is planning to build a bridge across the famed Dardanelles strait to help ease traffic congestion in Istanbul, a minister said, revealing the latest in a string of mega projects under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The straits, which separate Europe and Asia, were last bridged by Xerxes the Great, the Persian “king of kings” in 480 BC on his way to defeat the Greeks at Thermopylae.
“We are planning to construct a new bridge across the Dardanelles strait,” Transport Minister Lutfi Elvan said in an interview with Turkish television.
The Dardanelles lead into the Sea of Marmara which then goes into the Bosphorus in Istanbul itself. The waterway is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, and is 1.2 km wide at its narrowest point.
So far the Dardanelles strait can only be crossed by ferry.
“We will turn the entire Marmara region into a ring road, so this ring system will ease the Istanbul traffic to a great extent,” Elvan added.
The Dardanelles, which played a key role in the great sea battles of ancient history, were also the site of one of the most famous battles of World War I when Ottoman troops resisted an invading Allied force.
It was also where the founder of modern Turkey Mustafa Kemal, the man who would later become known as Ataturk, made his name as a heroic military leader.
Turkey’s Islamic-rooted government is under fire for its ambitious construction projects for the mega city of 16 million, which critics have condemned as wildly excessive and damaging to the environment.
The projects include a massive new Istanbul airport, a third road bridge across the Bosphorus, and a canal parallel to the waterway to ease the permanent bottleneck of tankers and freighters waiting to pass through it.
Erdogan has said the projects are needed to create a fast-developing and prosperous “new Turkey” that will be one of the world’s top 10 economies by 2023.
The building industry has boomed in recent years but while Erdogan was prime minister, his government was shaken by a now-stalled corruption probe into allegations of high-level bribery linked to some construction projects.
Elvan vowed that the government would move ahead with mega projects, saying the government was planning a 17 billion Turkish lira ($7.6 billion/6 billion euros) investment in Istanbul.
Among the new projects is a direct metro line from Kadikoy to the Sabiha Gokcen airport on the Asian side of Istanbul, he added.
Last year amid great fanfare the government opened the first ever undersea metro link beneath the Bosphorus connecting the European and Asian sides of Istanbul.
This year it opened the first high-speed train link between Istanbul and Ankara.
Turkey to bridge the Dardanelles in new mega project
Turkey to bridge the Dardanelles in new mega project
Saudia Cargo partners with exports body to boost Kingdom’s products globally
RIYADH: Saudia Cargo and the Saudi Export Development Authority inked a strategic memorandum of understanding, in a move set to accelerate the international reach of non-oil goods.
The agreement, signed during the “Made in Saudi 2025” exhibition in Riyadh, aims to empower local industries and enhance the global competitiveness of national products.
This deal directly supports the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which seeks to diversify the economy by growing non-oil exports, building a strong industrial base, and leveraging the nation’s geographic position to become an international logistics hub.
According to a press release, the partnership focuses on a shared commitment to strengthen the “Saudi Made” program, ensuring local products become a preferred choice in international markets.
Key areas of collaboration include supporting exporters, overcoming logistical and regulatory hurdles, facilitating export operations, building capacities, and developing innovative shipping solutions.
“The MoU also includes coordinating external participation in international exhibitions, collaborating on launching joint marketing and promotional campaigns, and opening new horizons for national products to be present in global markets,” the press release said.
This initiative extends Saudia Cargo’s ongoing efforts, including its “BEYOND” campaign launched earlier this year, to promote exports in line with national economic goals.
Saudia Cargo is a leading national carrier, operating a network spanning approximately 100 airport destinations and 250 customer bases across four continents.
With a modern fleet and a strategic alliance with SkyTeam Cargo, the company is well-positioned to support the rapid and secure transport of diverse goods, including e-commerce, pharmaceuticals, and perishables.
Saudi Exports is a government authority dedicated to developing non-oil exports by enhancing the competitiveness of the Kingdom’s exporters and removing barriers to international trade.
The Made in Saudi 2025 exhibition, held from Dec. 15 to 17, served as a platform for forging industrial and commercial partnerships, attracting investments, and exploring new export opportunities.
