Turkey, China start talks on new silk road project

Turkish and Chinese officials have started talks on a planned revival through high-speed trains of the Silk Road, the historic trade route between the East and the West. State Minister for Foreign Trade Kursad Tuzmen said he had had talks with a Chinese delegation led by Chinese Vice Minister for Railways Peng Kaizhou. "China has a huge population and a great potential in global railway and road transportation," he added. "China has a trade volume of $2.3 trillion, and this will grow to $10 trillion in the next few years. Joint projects with such a country will speed up our own growth." He also said, "We aim to bring transportation routes from China to our Mediterranean port city of Mersin via Kazakhstan and to make a Silk Road for speed trains." Tuzmen said both countries support the project and that officials from both sides would work on it.