China is considering a $60 billion investment in Turkey’s rail network to create a faster freight route to Europe and to avoid Russia, according to a Turkish official who spoke to the South China Morning Post.
China aims to support upgrades that include electrification, a high-speed line connecting İstanbul and Ankara, new domestic routes and a bridge in İstanbul, said Burak Dağlıoğlu, president of the Turkish government’s investment office, Invest in Turkiye. The upgrades are part of efforts to enhance the Middle Corridor, an alternative to freight routes through Russia, which have become less viable amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Chinese company CRRC Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive, which already operates in Turkey, is expected to bid for contracts in an open tender process along with other firms, Dağlıoğlu said.
European logistics firms are increasingly favoring routes through Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia over those passing through Russia, despite legal permission to do so, the European Parliament noted in a 2022 report.
China’s interest in Turkey extends beyond railways, with investments in the tech and energy sectors and growing tourism ties. In 2024, 300,000 Chinese tourists visited Turkey, an increase from 250,000 in 2023 but below pre-pandemic figures, according to Dağlıoğlu.