Minister: Turkiye to continue implementing important mega projects

By Azernews

By News Center

The Turkish government will continue undertaking important projects, Yeni Shafak reports, citing Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoglu.

Karaismailoglu delivered remarks while inspecting the recently built 1915 Canakkale Bridge.

The technical team provided Karaismailoglu with information, who took the elevator to the 204-meter-high segment of the bridge on the European side of the tower. Deputy Minister Enver Iskurt, AK Party Canakkale Deputy Julide Iskenderoglu, and others accompanied the minister.

Addressing the media on the bridge, Karaismiloglu informed that another important project in Canakkale had been completed and placed into service.

“We are overjoyed and proud. It gives me great pride to be a part of such large projects. We opened the Assos and Troy tunnels on the Kucukkuyu-Ayvacik road in Ayvacik today. We have connected two vital lines on the Istanbul, Canakkale, and Aegean axis today. We are currently 204 meters above sea level, on the European side of the 1915 Canakkale Bridge. It is 204 meters tall; however, it is only the bridge’s height above sea level. Another 45 meters lie beneath the sea,” Karaismailoglu stressed.

Karaismailoglu emphasized that the bridge is the world's largest and highest pier steel bridge, and the effort done would benefit the nation for centuries.

"Of course, we have become one of the countries with the most advanced domestic and national engineering technologies in the world. Turkish experts and Turkish engineering solutions are now sought when there is a major infrastructure project anywhere in the world. That is why we are so proud. We shall continue to carry out initiatives that are inspirational to the rest of the world and make our country proud. Today we were at Canakkale. We'll spend the weekend in Diyarbakir. Then we'll be at another region of our country to launch a valuable project,” the minister underlined.

Turkiye inaugurated the 1915 Canakkale Bridge, the sixth project that connects Asia and Europe, on March 18 with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his presence.

The implemented transportation projects have played a significant role in Turkiye's four-fold economic growth over the past 20 years.

The 1915 Canakkale Bridge, built alongside the 15 July Martyrs and Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridges, connected the two continents for the sixth time and became an alternative route between Asia and Europe.

A total of $169.2 billion has been invested in transportation and communication over the past 20 years.

The bridge, one of the mega projects that connect Asia and Europe, is full of symbols from its length to its height, from its color to its viaducts.

The bridge has been equipped with codes related to both the Canakkale war and Turkish history.

The bridge reflects some Turkish-Islamic motifs, as well as draws inspiration from Ottoman architecture. The vertical lines, which stand out in many historical works of Turkish-Islamic architecture, were also used in the tie beams of the bridge.

It is possible to see the vertical lines that Mimar Sinan brought to Ottoman architecture in many works. The similar vertical lines, which can be noticed in the Selimiye and the Suleymaniye mosques, as well as in the Buyukcekmece Bridge, add a historical atmosphere to the bridge.

Moreover, critical dates are included in the figures regarding the length and height of the bridge. The 2,023-meter middle span between the two steel towers of the suspended tower marks the 100th anniversary of the Turkish republic.