Middle Corridor expansion: Turkish company joins strategic investment talks

A leading Turkish company has expressed interest in investing in infrastructure projects along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), signaling a potential boost for the strategic trade corridor.

According to local media reports, this was a key topic of discussion during a meeting between Kazakhstan’s Minister of Transport, Marat Karabayev, and Ahmet Çalık, Chairman of the Board of Turkish conglomerate Çalık Holding, per Caliber.Az.

During the talks, both sides explored opportunities for investment cooperation in Kazakhstan’s transport and logistics sector.

"The Turkish side expressed interest in the implementation of a number of promising projects for the development of the infrastructure of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR)," the report stated.

Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to deepening their partnership in the region’s infrastructure development.

The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route — also known as the Middle Corridor — is a vital trade and logistics link connecting China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the Caspian Sea, Georgia, Türkiye, and Europe. By integrating rail, sea, and road transportation, the corridor offers an alternative to traditional shipping routes such as the Suez Canal, reducing transit times and costs for freight movement between Asia and Europe.

With Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, and China playing key roles in its expansion, the Middle Corridor has seen rapid growth. In October 2023, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan signed an agreement to establish Middle Corridor Multimodal Ltd., a joint railway company aimed at enhancing transit efficiency.

Recent statistics highlight the route’s increasing importance. In 2024, freight traffic along the corridor surged by 62%, reaching 4.5 million tons. Projections indicate that with continued infrastructure upgrades and digitalization efforts — including a newly launched digital corridor project — the route’s capacity could expand to 10 million tons by 2027.

By Tamilla Hasanova