Türkiye, along with Syria and Jordan, is taking initiative to revive the Hejaz Railway. Development of this project would restart the Ottoman-era rail link that was once the transit route for traders and pilgrims of the region. The Hejaz Railway has historical significance for Türkiye going back to the days of the Ottoman Empire. The Hejaz Railway project proposes to run from Türkiye, connecting Syria and Jordan, and extending up to Saudi Arabia, in particular gaining access to Mecca and Medina.

However, this railway project is also a subset of Türkiye’s contemporary geopolitical designs across the region and even further. With this initiative, Türkiye is throwing its hat in the ring of several connectivity projects that have become an integral aspect of regional and global geopolitics.

In recent times, Middle East, Central Asia and the Mediterranean Region have become hubs of transnational transit routes. Several projects, like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) have been in development in these regions.

Türkiye’s Hejaz Railway project could be contextualized against the IMEC from two perspectives. First, as mentioned earlier, through the Hejaz Railway, Türkiye is asserting its regional importance and presenting itself as an indispensable actor at regional level, as a connecting point between the east and the west, as well as constantly highlighting the role it has been playing in international politics like mediation efforts between Russia and Ukraine. The Hejaz Railway, while apparently aimed at boosting regional connectivity and cooperation, is also an instrument for Türkiye to maintain its influence in Syria. Further, by extending this railway line up to Saudi Arabia, Ankara is trying to mend fences with Riyadh. Improved ties with the Gulf Kingdom would benefit Türkiye in economic terms. Also, including Jordan in the project gives Türkiye an opportunity to intensify its stand against Israel. Jordan is among the few Arab countries to enjoy friendly ties with Israel. Further, Saudi Arabia and Israel are two important members of the IMEC with Jordan also expected to have a role in this project. By opting Amman and Riyadh in the Hejaz Railway, Ankara is giving these two an option and an alternative to be a part of an initiative competing the IMEC.

Second, in continuation of the previous point, the Hejaz Railway, while being a competition to the IMEC, is also an overt counter to India and the European Union. By supporting Pakistan against India over the Kashmir issue, Türkiye has been constantly at odds with India for past several years. At the time when the IMEC was launched, Türkiye had wished to be the part of this project. However, New Delhi’s reservations kept Ankara out. Now with the Hejaz Railway, Türkiye is trying to pose a counter to the IMEC and thereby to India.

Similarly, Türkiye has had an uneasy relationship with the EU. For decades, Türkiye has been courting the EU for membership. However, Ankara’s questionable human rights records and dubious democracy masquerading for growing Islamic radicalization has caused Brussels not to consider the former’s request. For Türkiye, the Hejaz Railway is a way of presenting its own importance as a connecting link between Asia and Europe and thereby pronouncing its inevitability to Europe’s economic development.

However, it remains to be seen if the Hejaz Railway project is aimed at competing with or countering the IMEC. Launched in New Delhi in September 2023 during the G20 Summit, the IMEC is a connectivity project that connects India to Europe via Middle East through a network of sea routes, roads and railways. This project has India, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Israel, France, Germany, Italy, Greece, the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) as signatories. The IMEC is an indication of growing convergence between India, the Middle Eastern countries and the European Union. The past few years have seen India strengthening and diversifying economic and strategic relations with Saudi Arabia and the UAE. India and the UAE have also signed a free trade agreement. Talks on a free trade agreement between India and the EU are currently in progress.  

Be that as it may, since historical times transcending to the contemporary global order, Türkiye, owing to its geographical location lying at the crossroads of Middle East, Eurasia and Europe, has been an important actor in international politics. Reviving the Ottoman-era Hejaz Railway is an attempt on Ankara’s part to gain Ottoman-era influence in the present world politics.

Mr. Niranjan Marjani is a political analyst and researcher based in Vadodara, India.