Why Is Türkiye Opposing the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor?

It’s the latest megaproject that if realized, could transform the Middle East. That’s at least the goal of the US, which alongside
India, proposed a new economic corridor on the sidelines of last week’s G20 summit in New Delhi. The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor or IMEC, will connect India with Europe via the Middle East, through a series of ports and road networks. US President Joe Biden has called IMEC a game-changing investment for the US. However, with no clarity on when the project will start, many questions have been left unanswered.

Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was one of those skeptics, and said ‘there cannot be a Middle East corridor without Turkiye’. He has instead proposed the Iraq Development Road Project to connect Europe and the Gulf. IMEC in its current form, bypasses Turkiye, while linking Israel to several Arab nations. IMEC is also being touted as a rival to China’s Belt and Road initiative, a trillion dollar infrastructure project to recreate the ancient Silk Road. That project launched 10 years ago has seen a slowdown, over allegations of debt traps and weak demand.

Guests:
Anil Trigunayat
Former Indian Ambassador

Taha Meli Arvas
Professor at Bogazici University

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