Merkez Türkiye
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The Merkez Türkiye (, Hub Turkey or Central Turkey) project is a proposal for a planned megacity put forward by Turkey's main opposition
Republican People's Party The Republican People's Party (RPP; , CHP ) is a Kemalism, Kemalist and Social democracy, social democratic political party in Turkey. It is the oldest List of political parties in Turkey, political party in Turkey, founded by Mustafa Kemal ...
(CHP) on 21 May 2015, as part of their June 2015 general election campaign. The project plans to use Turkey's strategic geographical positioning to establish a centre for global trade and commerce in Central Anatolia. It was branded as Turkey's 'economic empowerment project' ''(Ekonomi Yükseliş Projesi)'' and was nicknamed 'the Project of the Century' ''(Yüzyılın projesi)''.


Background


June 2015 general election

The proposal was announced and made public on 21 May 2015 by the
Republican People's Party The Republican People's Party (RPP; , CHP ) is a Kemalism, Kemalist and Social democracy, social democratic political party in Turkey. It is the oldest List of political parties in Turkey, political party in Turkey, founded by Mustafa Kemal ...
(CHP), which nicknamed it the 'Project of the Century' and released a 7-minute video on ''
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
'' containing details about the proposal. The project was seen as an attempt by the CHP to portray itself as a strong alternative to the governing
Justice and Development Party Justice and Development Party may refer to several political parties, the best-known ones being: * Justice and Development Party (Morocco) * Justice and Development Party (Turkey) Justice and Development Party may also refer to: * Justice and Dev ...
(AKP) on infrastructure policy, since the AKP has drawn strong support in the past for its investment in new roads, airports and planned infrastructure projects such as Kanal Istanbul. Announced 17 days before the June 2015 general election, the project did not show a significant impact in the polls, with the CHP continuing to trail the AKP at 25-27%.


Global trade

Amid the One Belt, One Road and the
Maritime Silk Road The Maritime Silk Road or Maritime Silk Route is the maritime section of the historic Silk Road that connected Southeast Asia, East Asia, the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian Peninsula, eastern Africa, and Europe. It began by the 2nd century BCE ...
initiative for the
Silk Road Economic Belt The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI or B&R), known in China as the One Belt One Road and sometimes referred to as the New Silk Road, is a global infrastructure development strategy adopted by the government of China in 2013 to invest in more t ...
, the
Initiative for the Integration of the Regional Infrastructure of South America The Initiative for the Integration of the Regional Infrastructure of South America (IIRSA) is a development plan to link South America's economies through new transportation, energy, and telecommunications projects. IIRSA investments are expected t ...
and the
Kunming–Singapore Railway The Kunming–Singapore railway, also referred to as the Pan-Asian Railway, is a network of railways that connects China, Singapore and all the countries of mainland Southeast Asia. The concept originated with the British and French colonial emp ...
, Merkez Türkiye was designed to become the fourth of a group of global projects designed to connect different trade routes. The project aims to not just link roads and other modes of transport to increase trade, but to also link different world economies, industries, markets, cultures and lifestyles.


Planned megacity

In an initiative to link both the east and west, the proposal would be based around a megacity being built in Central Anatolia, with maps being presented with the project advertisements indicating a possible location near the
provinces A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...
of
Kayseri Kayseri () is a large List of cities in Turkey, city in Central Anatolia, Turkey, and the capital of Kayseri Province, Kayseri province. Historically known as Caesarea (Mazaca), Caesarea, it has been the historical capital of Cappadocia since anc ...
,
Sivas Sivas is a city in central Turkey. It is the seat of Sivas Province and Sivas District.İl Beledi ...
,
Malatya Malatya (; ; Syriac language, Syriac ܡܠܝܛܝܢܐ Malīṭīná; ; Ancient Greek: Μελιτηνή) is a city in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey and the capital of Malatya Province. The city has been a human settlement for thousands of y ...
and
Kahramanmaraş Kahramanmaraş (), historically Marash (; ) and Germanicea (), is a city in the Mediterranean Region, Turkey, Mediterranean region of Turkey and the administrative centre of Kahramanmaraş Province, Kahramanmaraş province. After 1973, Maraş was ...
. However, it was later revealed that the location was purposefully kept a secret so that residents of the affected area would not make unfair profits before construction began.


Funding

The city's infrastructure construction is expected to be funded by over US$40 billion of state funds over 20 years. Meanwhile, it is projected that the private sector will provide US$160 billion in funds for superstructure investment, from both domestic and foreign sources.


Construction

Under the CHP's proposals, the city would operate on its own legal framework, devolved and separated from the existing laws of Turkey. The proposals also include the cutting of
red tape Red tape is a concept employed to denounce excessive or redundant regulation and adherence to formal rules for creating unnecessary constraints on action and decision-making. The occurrence of red tape is usually associated with governments but a ...
and the elimination of
bureaucracy Bureaucracy ( ) is a system of organization where laws or regulatory authority are implemented by civil servants or non-elected officials (most of the time). Historically, a bureaucracy was a government administration managed by departments ...
in order to boost economic confidence for investors. The foundations of the megacity would be complete by 2020 and grow in stages, to be fully completed by 2035. Its population is expected to exceed 3 million and link Turkish motorways in a central hub, as well as link landlocked provinces with ports.


Characteristics

The city will serve as a hub for
logistics Logistics is the part of supply chain management that deals with the efficient forward and reverse flow of goods, services, and related information from the point of origin to the Consumption (economics), point of consumption according to the ...
,
financial Finance refers to monetary resources and to the study and Academic discipline, discipline of money, currency, assets and Liability (financial accounting), liabilities. As a subject of study, is a field of Business administration, Business Admin ...
,
light manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to ...
and
automotive industries Automotive Industries Ltd. (, ''Ta'asiyot Rekhev Natzrat Ilit'', AIL) is an Israeli automaker and major supplier of the Israeli Security Forces. History Located in Nof HaGalil, the company was founded in 1966 by Automotive Equipment Group as ...
. The city will also cater for handling and packaging, packaging manufacturing,
recycling Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. This concept often includes the recovery of energy from waste materials. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the propert ...
, temperature controlled storage and distribution of goods, product assembly, labelling, manufacturing and distribution of building materials, storage and distribution of pharmaceuticals, agricultural food processing, standardisation, certification and surveillance, exhibitions, distribution of replacement goods, grain silo tanks, product markets, sub-industrial infrastructure for logistics support, insurance firms and technology firms. The city is also planned to become a hub for
research and development Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in some countries as OKB, experiment and design, is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products. R&D constitutes the first stage ...
, house a technology park and numerous universities.


Transportation facilities

The megacity is planned to be served by high-capacity roads, railway (for both land routes and
train ferries A train ferry is a ship (ferry) designed to carry railway vehicles, as well as their cargoes and passengers. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to t ...
) and an airport in order to create a centre for consolidation that increases the capacity and efficiency for trade. The transportation links will link the city to the southern ports in
Mersin Mersin () is a large city and port on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast of Mediterranean Region, Turkey, southern Turkey. It is the provincial capital of the Mersin Province (formerly İçel). It is made up of four district governorates ...
and Iskenderun for links to the
Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
for both
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
an and
North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...
n destinations as well as northern ports in
Samsun Samsun is a List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, city on the north coast of Turkey and a major Black Sea port. The urban area recorded a population of 738,692 in 2022. The city is the capital of Samsun Province which has a population of ...
and
Trabzon Trabzon, historically known as Trebizond, is a city on the Black Sea coast of northeastern Turkey and the capital of Trabzon Province. The city was founded in 756 BC as "Trapezous" by colonists from Miletus. It was added into the Achaemenid E ...
for links to the
Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...
, with destinations including
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
and
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
.


Implications


International trade

The project is designed to both shorten and increase the efficiency for global trade, creating a city with its own legal framework that is designed to accommodate international trade laws and regulations. An example of the effect that Merkez Türkiye would have on global trade is given in the project's video presentation, where the 50- to 55-day waiting time for goods to be transported from
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
to
Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...
in
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
is lowered to 15 hours via train when the goods reach Merkez Türkiye.


Domestic economy

The project is part of the CHP's policies to eradicate poverty in Turkey, with the city planned to end domestic migration and provide 1,633,000 jobs in its initial stages. Its economic impact throughout Turkey is estimated to provide over 2,200,000 new jobs throughout other parts of the country. By 2035, it is estimated that Merkez Türkiye would provide US$100 billion in added value per year, with economic impact of the project in other parts of the region bringing the total up to approximately US$147 billion in added value. The project will result in Turkey's national income rising to US$2.7 trillion by 2035, with Merkez Türkiye contributing to 5.5% of this national income. Turkey's national income per head is estimated to rise to US$30,294 by 2035, with national income per head in Merkez Türkiye alone expected to be US$33,323. With the project's completion, it is projected that Turkey will become one of the top 20 countries for human development, with unemployment falling below 5% and average economic growth reaching 6% per annum.


Environmental consequences

In order to create a city that minimises pollution, the proposals include plans to build large-scale solar and wind energy farms that will be the major sources of energy for the city. The city is also planned to become a recycling hub. It is also designed to be the region's greenest and ecologically friendly city.


Reactions


Positive reception

It was observed by media commentators that the announcement of the Merkez Türkiye project generally received positive reviews on social media sites such as ''
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
''. The project was welcomed by several journalists and academics, who referred to the project as 'plausible' and claimed that it would change Turkey's bleak economic prospects for the better. The project's emphasis on research and development, which has been regularly been criticised for receiving too little funding in Turkey, was also an aspect of the proposal that was welcomed by journalists. Journalist and CHP Member of Parliament Mustafa Balbay referred to the project as 'at least 50 times more realistic than Erdoğan's Kanal Istanbul project.'


Criticism

The AKP Deputy Prime Minister
Ali Babacan Ali Babacan (; born 4 April 1967) is a Turkish politician, economist, and engineer. He is the founder and current leader of the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA). He served 13 years as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Economy, Chie ...
described the project as 'puzzling' and 'unfeasible', criticising the CHP's failure to state what province the city would be situated in. Calling the project unrealistic, Babacan also attacked the CHP's wider economic plan by claiming that greater spending would increase inflation rates.
Fikri Işık Fikri Işık MP (born 13 September 1965) is a Turkish politician who served as the last Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey from 2017 to 2018. Previously, he served as Minister of Science, Industry and Technology from 2013 to 2016 and Minister of ...
, the Minister of Science, Industry and Technology, criticised the project by calling it 'eccentric' and claimed that Turkey needed to recognise the power of its existing cities rather than building a new one. Nurettin Canikli, the
Ministry of Customs and Trade Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian mi ...
, claimed that the AKP government had created 1.4 million jobs in 2014 and called the project a 'dwarf project'. In response, CHP leader
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu (; born 17 December 1948), also referred to by his initials KK, is a Turkish politician who served as the Leader of the Republican People's Party, leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP) from 2010 to 2023. He was Lis ...
stated that he would not take the criticisms into account unless the AKP could point out specific claws in the proposals. A member, economist and former government minister from the CHP,
Kemal Derviş Kemal Derviş (; 10 January 1949 – 8 May 2023) was a Turkish economist and politician who was head of the United Nations Development Programme. He was honored by the government of Japan for having "contributed to mainstreaming Japan's developm ...
, also approached the project cautiously, stating that it had to be executed properly to be successful. Ebru Soytemel, a research associate at
Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...
claimed that the CHP should focus on making Turkey's existing cities more liveable since megacities rarely solve problems such as unemployment and usually come at a high cost. Mustafa Kadir Atasoy, a columnist in Türk Yurdu magazine claimed that the project does not mention culture, education and ecology.


Controversies

After the announcement, it was alleged that a planned new megacity was in fact a short-lived project thought up by the governing AKP, with many AKP politicians criticising the CHP for 'stealing' the idea. It was also claimed by pro-government media outlets that the Prime Minister
Ahmet Davutoğlu Ahmet Davutoğlu (; born 26 February 1959) is a Turkish academic, politician and former diplomat who served as the List of Prime Ministers of Turkey, 26th Prime Minister of Turkey and Leader of the Justice and Development Party (Turkey), Justice ...
had based his book ''"Stratejik Derinlik (Strategic Depth)"'' around the idea of Turkey becoming the central country in the region, accusing the CHP of stealing the AKP's ideals. During an electoral rally in Sinop, Davutoğlu claimed that he had used the term 'Merkez Türkiye' in his book back in the year 2000, accusing the CHP of 'academic theft'.


Political impact

The June 2015 general election resulted in the CHP remaining as the second largest party, suffering a decrease in their vote share since the 2011 general election. However, since the election resulted in a
hung parliament A hung parliament is a term used in legislatures primarily under the Westminster system (typically employing Majoritarian representation, majoritarian electoral systems) to describe a situation in which no single political party or pre-existing ...
, the prospect of a
grand coalition A grand coalition is an arrangement in a multi-party parliamentary system in which the two largest political party, political parties of opposing political spectrum, political ideologies unite in a coalition government. Causes of a grand coali ...
between the AKP and the CHP remained. During coalition negotiations, the CHP presented 14 principles that would be at the centre of any coalition deal, with the Merkez Türkiye project briefly being mentioned in the party's 7th principle in regards to a new foreign policy outlook. These 14 principles were later lowered to five, though the need for a new foreign policy outlook remained as one of them. Coalition negotiations broke down in August, with a new snap general election being called for November 2015.


See also

* Kanal Istanbul, a proposal to create a new canal through
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
by the
Justice and Development Party Justice and Development Party may refer to several political parties, the best-known ones being: * Justice and Development Party (Morocco) * Justice and Development Party (Turkey) Justice and Development Party may also refer to: * Justice and Dev ...
(AKP), labelled as the party's 'crazy project'. * 2023 vision, a list of economic and infrastructure targets set by
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician who is the 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as the 25th prime minister of Turkey, prime minister from 2003 to 2014 as part of the Jus ...
to be completed by 2023, the centenary of the establishment of the Turkish Republic. *
Masdar City Masdar City () is an urban community in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It was built by Masdar, a subsidiary of the state-owned Mubadala Investment Company, with the majority of seed capital provided by the Government of A ...
*
Neom Neom (styled NEOM; , ) is an arcology and planned city being built by Saudi Arabia in Tabuk Province. Launched in 2017 by crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, the site is at the northern tip of the Red Sea, due east of Egypt across the Gulf of A ...


References


External links


The CHP's presentation on YouTube about the project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Merkez Turkiye Infrastructure in Turkey Transport in Turkey Republican People's Party (Turkey) June 2015 Turkish general election Economy of Turkey Planned communities in Turkey