Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Oraloglu announced that the plans to implement the development road project with Iraq are nearing completion, and that the project is expected to start at the beginning of next year. Oraloglu said in a press statement today: The first phase of the Faw port, which was built by Iraq in Basra Governorate as part of the development road project, will be operational next year. He added: "Starting from there, the 1,200-kilometer railway and highway will enter Turkey through a new border gate in the Ovaköy region, which is 15-20 kilometers west of the Khabur crossing with Iraq." The Turkish Minister of Transport continued: "This is a line that will extend from there to the provinces of Sanliurfa, Gaziantep, Karaman, Eskisehir and Istanbul, reaching the Kapikule gate with Bulgaria." Oraloglu pointed out that Qatar and the United Arab Emirates participated in the project thanks to the intensive efforts made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in thi s regard. He explained that the ministries and institutions concerned with the project are currently studying the possibilities of financing the project. It is worth noting that the "Development Road" project consists of land and railway roads extending from Iraq to Turkey and its ports, with a length of 1,200 kilometers inside Iraq, and aims to transport goods between Europe and the Gulf countries, especially Qatar and the Emirates./End Source: National Iraqi News Agency