Transportation Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Suat Hayri Aka briefed attendees of an iftar (fast-breaking dinner) hosted by the Turkish-American Business Association (TABA/AmCham) of the latest developments in the project. The Hijaz Railway was originally constructed at the dawn of the 20th century to connect the capital city of the Ottoman Empire, İstanbul, to its lands in the Middle East and the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The railway could not be used much as it was sabotaged by the British spy T.E. Lawrence (“Lawrence of Arabia”) and Arab tribes around him during World War I in a bid to end the Ottoman army's sole access to the region.
Having set aside enmities from the past, Turkey and Arab countries of the Middle East have decided to revive the rail link, particularly owing to the efforts of Turkish President Abdullah Gül and the government, to make it a sign of peace and prosperity for the entire region. “When it is successfully completed, a train leaving İstanbul will be in Medina in 24 hours,” Aka said.
According to information provided by Aka, the original Hijaz Railway project was launched during the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid II and cost TL 4 million. This amount was equal to 18 percent of the 1901 Ottoman budget. The total length of the Hijaz Railway, running from İstanbul to Medina, will be in excess of 3,000 kilometers.
Aka said the General Directorate of Turkish State Railways (TCDD) had taken the initiative in launching the project but underlined that Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia need to work together to bring it to fruition. Aka said Turkey had already started work on high-speed train projects from Thrace to Konya, adding that work in Syria and Jordan will begin in 2010 and that the railway will be completed in Saudi Arabia in 2012, at which point the journey from İstanbul to Medina will take only 24 hours by rail.
The iftar was attended by numerous businessmen from Turkey and the US along with US Consul General in İstanbul Sharon Wiener, TABA/AmCham Chairman Uğur Terzioğlu and former TABA/AmCham Chairman Zeynel Abidin Erdem.
