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Co construction of the "the Belt and Road" cooperation brings tangible benefits to the people of Türkiye

Xinhua News Agency, Istanbul, June 27, exclusive interview: Co construction of the "the Belt and Road" cooperation has brought tangible benefits to Türkiye's people -- an interview with Professor Ebar of Türkiye's Baktsehir University

Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Feng

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency, Sedat Ebar, a professor of Türkiye's Baktsehir University, said that under the framework of the "the Belt and Road", Turkey and China have carried out practical cooperation in various fields, which has effectively promoted Turkey's economic development and brought tangible benefits to the Turkish people.

Ebar said that more and more Chinese companies are investing in Türkiye, especially in the fields of infrastructure, transportation, high-tech and finance. After the opening of the "Baku Tbilisi Kars" transnational railway in 2017, the freight time between China and Türkiye has been shortened by more than half. At the end of 2020, Türkiye's first freight train for export goods to China will arrive in Xi'an, China, with full loads of goods. With the passage of time, the number of train services has multiplied, promoting the development of trade between Turkey and China

Chinese enterprises have also contributed to the construction of the 1915 Charnacle Bridge in Türkiye. Sichuan Road and Bridge, a subsidiary of China Shudao Group, won the bid for the installation of steel box girders of the bridge. The bridge connects Europe and Asia and was opened to traffic in March this year.

Ebar pointed out that in addition to infrastructure and transportation, China is also investing in high-tech and financial industries in Türkiye. Huawei Türkiye launched business in Turkey in 2002 to support the development of the Turkish information and communication technology ecosystem, including 5G and AR technologies. Chinese smartphone manufacturers such as Xiaomi, OPPO and Vivo also made direct investment in Türkiye, creating thousands of jobs for Turkish people.

The establishment of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Türkiye) Co., Ltd. is one of the most important measures of China Turkey cooperation in the financial industry. Since its opening in 2015, ICBC Türkiye has provided financing for several major projects under the "the Belt and Road" framework, which has promoted the economic, industrial and social development of Türkiye.

In the interview, Ebar highly praised China's achievements in environmental protection, people's livelihood, and aerospace, as well as its contribution to global poverty reduction and maintaining world peace and stability. He also emphasized the extension of life expectancy for the Chinese population, the updating and modernization of infrastructure, the improvement of residents' education level, and the improvement of medical conditions and services.

"Without the great efforts of the CPC, China's incredible development achievements would not have been realized," Albar said.