The European Union and Turkey have signed an agreement to help finance the construction of a high-speed railway line from Istanbul to the border with EU-member-state Bulgaria.
European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen said at a joint press conference in Istanbul with Turkish Finance Minister Berat Albayrakhe that the EU will provide a grant of 275 million euro, or about $313 million, for the project. The total cost of the project is 1 billion euros, or about $1.14 billion dollars.
The train deal is the EU's largest single investment project in Turkey.
The railway line is meant to link Istanbul's Halkali Station to the Bulgarian border crossing point at the Kapikule-Svelingrad station.
"With the signing of this flagship railway project, EU and Turkey show once more that they can work hand in hand for the benefit of their peoples," EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc said, describing Turkey as "our bridge between east and west."
Turkey has been an EU membership candidate for almost 20 years but has regressed on the bloc's benchmarks in areas such as the rule of law, citizens' rights, and media freedom since a government crackdown on dissent following a failed coup in July 2016.
Membership talks for Turkey are currently on hold with EU-member states disagreeing on whether to formally suspend the process.
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
Authorities Seek Answers After Deadly Crash Of Azerbaijani Passenger Jet In Kazakhstan
2North Korean Troops Take Pounding In Kursk As Kim Reportedly Doubles Down
3Russia Moving Military Assets To Africa After Syria Setback
4'So Much Death': Ukrainian Drone Pilot Shares Emotional Account Of Frontline Combat
5Syrian Islamist Rulers Shun The Taliban Governance Model
6Ukraine Hits Kazan Buildings In Latest Display Of Drone Power
7Mystery Photos Shed Light On Romania's 1989 Revolution
8Orban Says Higher NATO Defense Targets Would Cripple The Hungarian Economy
9Iran's Supreme Leader Calls On Syrians To Resist Rebel Government
10Russia Launches Massive Drone Attack As Putin Vows Revenge For Kyiv's Attack On Kazan
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.
