Hejaz Railway: Strategic contribution to Türkiye’s network

If we are to speak of a Turkish transformation, it did not arrive overnight. Rather, it emerged step by step. I attribute the foundations of this transformation to a rational approach to governance.

It appears that when a nation-state, free from the distortions of external pressures, responds to the needs of its people in a timely and effective manner, those efforts can gradually evolve into a revolution.

The achievements of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) governments began with strengthening the country’s most essential requirement: transportation infrastructure. This was later reinforced by investments in health care infrastructure and educational facilities.

Afterward, the AK Party improved urban life. Through expanded access to clean water, quality housing, and planned urban development, both AK Party governments and local administrations implemented measures that many regarded as revolutionary.

While the AK Party has been taking these major steps, opposition parties have largely failed to develop a compelling alternative vision. Instead, they often positioned themselves against investment and development projects. Whether opposing Marmaray, objecting to new airports, or reducing road construction projects to debates about contractors, they frequently adopted a stance that placed them on the opposite side of growth and development.

The emergence of the energy ecosystem followed these, under AK Party governments. Indeed, one reason Türkiye has avoided a major energy crisis amid the recent tensions involving Iran and the United States is the government’s extraordinary diversification of both energy supply and distribution sources.

Shaping regional ties

When a country strengthens its infrastructure from end to end – its logistics, health care, education, and energy networks – it creates a stable foundation through which goods, energy, and commercial activity can flow efficiently. Regardless of how many alternatives exist globally, neighboring countries will inevitably prefer such a reliable partner.

In the field of logistics, one of the most prominent projects currently under discussion is Iraq’s Development Road Project. Stretching from the Persian Gulf through southeastern Anatolia and onward to Edirne via existing transportation corridors, the initiative aims to integrate Iraq more closely with global markets.

At the same time, infrastructure connecting the Caucasus to the wider world – particularly through Georgia and Armenia – is gaining momentum.

Armenia presents an especially interesting case. For years, Armenian politics centered much of its opposition to Türkiye around the 1915 events. Today, however, many Armenians increasingly view their country’s future and economic development as dependent on stable relations with Türkiye and, in particular, the opening of border crossings to trade.

The story of Istanbul Airport offers another example. When the airport project was launched, it, too, faced intense opposition. Yet today it has become one of the world’s leading transfer hubs. Passengers from countries located within four or five hours of Türkiye increasingly choose Istanbul as a transit point, particularly for long-haul flights to destinations such as the U.S. and China.

Railway case

The history of the Hejaz Railway occupies a special place in the memory of this nation. During the final years of the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Abdulhamid II, working in cooperation with Germany, pursued a strategic vision to connect Istanbul to the Arabian Peninsula by rail, extending as far as the Hejaz region.

The project was never intended solely to facilitate the journeys of pilgrims traveling to the holy cities. It was also envisioned as a vital military and logistical corridor.

At the time, Britain had established a significant presence across the Arabian Peninsula. It was extending its influence westward from India. Had the Hejaz Railway become fully operational in its intended form, it might have limited British influence in the region. The map of the world itself could perhaps have evolved differently.

This historical reality has remained alive in history books, stories, and discussions of the struggle among the Ottoman Empire, Britain, and regional powers in the years leading up to the First World War.

Expanding network

As Türkiye moves rapidly toward becoming a global logistics center, an increasing number of transportation and energy corridors are being linked to the country.

Interestingly, recent reports regarding the revival of the Hejaz Railway have generated particularly strong interest in the Arab media. The prospect of a railway beginning in Jordan, crossing Saudi Arabia, and eventually reaching Istanbul has been greeted with considerable enthusiasm across the Gulf region and in Saudi Arabia.

At a time when China’s Belt and Road Initiative has aided the development of competing transportation routes globally, the revival of the historic Hejaz Railway between Saudi Arabia and Türkiye would represent far more than the reopening of a transportation corridor. It would also symbolize the gradual restoration of a regional order that was shattered during the First World War.

Institutional states share a common reflex: sooner or later, they place the interests of their own nations first and seek to push back against pressures that run counter to those interests. In this context, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia would be embarking on an important initiative by placing the interests of their respective peoples at the forefront.

Given Türkiye’s proven success in large-scale infrastructure projects and Saudi Arabia’s considerable economic strength, one can hope that this project will become operational in the near future. If realized, it would add yet another strategic asset to Türkiye’s already extensive network of logistics and energy corridors.