Well, despite these ill-intentions and efforts, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad project (BTK), dubbed the new "Iron Silk Road," rounded a significant bend this week, with the launch of the Turkish stretch of the line, in an official groundbreaking ceremony in Kars with the participation of the presidents of Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan.The presidents placed three sections of track on a large map of the region in a symbolic launch of the BTK amid confetti and hailed the BTK project and the strengthening of cooperation between their countries, vowing to complete the project.
In this context, President Abdullah Gül referred to the BTK project in these telling words: ''Some had called it a dream. It was once shelved. But meetings took place between the three countries, and the political will materialized to build the railway. The three countries also received support from Kazakhstan and China." He reiterated that there was strong political will behind the project and that it would not be weakened because it would benefit the peoples of the region.
It is true that there has been a strong political will and, of course, determination behind the BTK for many years. The past and present political leaders of the three countries have shown and preserved that, despite many obstacles placed in the BTK's way.
In fact, the project has largely been hindered by the efforts of the Armenian lobby in the US. The lobby has argued that the project is not economically viable. Furthermore, it pushed for a bill in the US Congress that prevented US banks and financial institutions from providing loans to Georgia to be used for the project's Georgian segment. These obstacles were eventually overcome by Azerbaijan offering a $220 million loan to Georgia.
The Turkish stretch of the BTK will consist of a 76-kilometer-long railway. The Özgün Yapı-Çeliker joint venture won the tender to build it last September with a bid of YTL 289.8 million ($241 million), the lowest among 14 submissions. In Azerbaijan, the project involves the laying of new track and the renewal of existing rails. Work on the 29-kilometer stretch in Georgia between the Turkish border and Akhalkalaki (Ahı lkelek) began on Nov. 21, 2007 at Marabda Station, Georgia, with the inaugural ceremony attended by the three presidents. The project is expected to be completed in 2011, with the initial capacity to carry 1.5 million people and 6.5 million tons of freight annually. The capacity is projected to grow to 3 million people and 17 million tons of freight by 2034. The total cost of the project is estimated at $450 million.
When completed, the 185-kilometer-long BTK project will be one of the most important connections between Asia and Europe, with 76 kilometers in Turkey, 29 kilometers in Georgia and 80 kilometers in Azerbaijan. It will be augmented with a line to be constructed between China and Kazakhstan's Aktau Port over the Caspian area in the East, and in the West through the undersea railway connection already being built in the Bosporus, thereby presenting enormous possibilities in terms of passenger and freight transportation. The project will also become part of the Trans-Asian railroad line with the Baku-Caspian-Türkmenbashi-Almaty-China route.
In short, once called a pipe dream, the BTK project is certainly on its way to becoming a reality in a few years' time, because as always, able and determined leaders can make dreams true, as shown with the BTK.
