Iraq’s $17 billion ‘Development Road’ project will be linked by railway to Turkey via a border town in Northwestern Kurdistan, Iraq’s media reported on Friday.

The rail line and a parallel motorway in the mega project will start from the Southern Iraqi Faw Port and pass through 10 governorates towards Faysh Khabur town close the border with Turkey, they said, citing an Iraqi Transport Ministry statement.

“Turkey has informed Iraq that it is preparing its rail network in that area to meet with the planned Iraqi rail,” the statement said.

OPEC member Iraq hopes the 1,200-km rail line will turn it into a major commercial hub as it will link Faw Port, currently under construction, with Europe via Turkey.

(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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