Major changes and shifts are occurring in the Middle East with Chinese penetration becoming more and more evident, following the Iran-Saudi collusion prompted by Beijing and Riyadh keeping oil prices at high levels, despite claims to the contrary US-EU “prompts” to reduce them.
There is even information about talks by both Egypt and Saudi Arabia with China, for the imminent purchase of the J-10 fighter from it, which also demonstrates the attempt of military penetration into the Middle East from Beijing.
The long-suffering Iraq, which looks forward to becoming the key country of the Asia-Europe interconnection, seems to be taking “row”, a fact that will however have consequences for both Kurdish and Greek-Turkish relations, since Turkey will also be involved in the “venture”.
Iraq is building its road and rail network
Iraq launched a $17 billion project on Saturday to link a major cargo port on its southern coast by rail and road to the border with Turkey, in a move aimed at transforming the country’s economy after decades of war and crisis.
The “Development Road” aims to link Grand Faw port in Iraq’s oil-rich south with Turkey, turning the country into a transit hub, cutting travel time between Asia and Europe in a bid to rival the Suez Canal.
The Iraqi government envisions high-speed trains carrying goods and passengers at speeds of up to 300 kilometers (186.41 miles) per hour, links to local industrial hubs and interconnection with oil and gas pipelines.
Iraq’s rail service currently has a handful of lines, including slow oil freight and a single passenger train that runs from Baghdad to Basra, taking 10 to 12 hours to cover 500 kilometers.
Grand Faw Harbour, which was built more than a decade ago, is halfway to completion. Passenger transport between Iraq and Europe goes back to grand plans at the beginning of the 20th century to create an express train from Baghdad to Berlin.
There are plans to transport tourists and pilgrims to Shiite holy sites in Iraq and Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj pilgrimage. The project was announced on Saturday at a conference aimed at attracting Arab interest, including from the Arab Gulf states, Syria and Jordan.
The erasing Iraq-Turkey alliance centered on the economy and the Kurdish
Iraq’s “Development Road”, which includes modernizing the country’s road and rail network, aims to connect the port of Grand Faw in the country’s oil-rich south with Turkey, turning the country into a transit hub, reducing travel time between of Asia and Europe in an attempt to compete with the Suez Canal.
In this goal of Iraq, the participation of Turkey is necessary, which, on the basis of win-win, also has a benefit and is even important to participate in the whole project, so we see in the next period of time that an Iraq-Turkey alliance is on the horizon .
A thorn, however, is the Kurdish issue, since the Asia-Iraq-Turkey-EU road and rail connection necessarily passes through Kurdish Northern Iraq and the Kurdish SE provinces of Turkey.
Consequently, in order for the above project to be successful, the resolution of the Kurdish issue by Turkey is a prerequisite, which does not appear to be happening in the coming years, since Turkish Nationalism is at its height, with 25% of the electorate being extreme Nationalists, with result in choosing as a solution the conduct of military operations again and not finding a political solution.
Otherwise, any solution of the Kurdish issue by Turkey through the political route would mean the success of the Iraqi plan and further strengthening of Ankara.
