ISTANBUL: The Türkiye–North Rhine-Westphalia Business Forum, aimed at strengthening trade and economic relations between Türkiye and North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), one of Germany’s leading economic regions, brought together senior representatives from the public and business sectors of both Türkiye and Germany in Istanbul. Supported by Railport, Türkiye’s first intermodal terminal, the forum addressed the role of intermodal connections and strong transport corridors in further advancing existing trade and investment relations between Türkiye and NRW.
Organised in cooperation with the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye (DEİK) and NRW.Global Business to strengthen economic ties between Türkiye and North Rhine-Westphalia and explore new areas of cooperation, the Türkiye–North Rhine-Westphalia Business Forum brought together senior representatives from the public and business sectors of both countries. The forum opened with speeches by Alparslan Bayraktar, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Türkiye; Hendrik Wüst, Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia; Serap Güler, Minister of State at the German Federal Foreign Office; Nail Olpak, President of DEİK; and Felix Neugart, CEO of NRW.Global Business. Discussions focused on the future of economic relations between the two regions, transport connections, mutual investments and opportunities for long-term cooperation. As part of the forum, a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed to further develop logistics cooperation between Türkiye and Germany. Özgür Kalelioğlu, President of Arkas Holding Port and Terminal Services Group, and Markus Bangen, CEO of duisport, also took part in the signing ceremony.
Kalelioğlu: “We aim to strengthen Türkiye’s position as a logistics hub between East and West”
Commenting on trade and logistics connections between Türkiye and Germany at the Türkiye–North Rhine-Westphalia Business Forum, Özgür Kalelioğlu, President of Arkas Holding Port and Terminal Services Group, said:
“North Rhine-Westphalia is one of Europe’s most important industrial and logistics hubs, while Duisburg plays a key role in cargo flows across Europe thanks to its strong rail connections. Our partnership with duisport and our investment in Railport were among the important steps taken with this logistics connection between Türkiye and North Rhine-Westphalia in mind. As container transport continues to grow in Türkiye, we need not only seaports but also intermodal terminals capable of moving cargo into the country’s inland regions. Railport was developed to meet this need following an extensive preparation and investment process. Having Railport operational today is highly significant for the development of Türkiye’s intermodal infrastructure. At a time when rail connections between the Far East and Europe are becoming increasingly stronger, our goal is to reinforce Türkiye’s position as a major logistics hub between East and West. To achieve this, we need to strengthen our port infrastructure and increase the number of intermodal terminals such as Railport.”
Weekly rail connection from Kartepe to Duisburg
North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s largest regional economy and one of Europe’s leading industrial and logistics centres, plays an important role in trade flows from Türkiye to Europe, supported by its strong transport infrastructure and Duisburg’s position within the European logistics network. Developed in Kartepe, Kocaeli through the partnership between Arkas Holding and duisport, Railport, Türkiye’s first intermodal terminal, serves as a strategic link connecting Türkiye’s production centres with the European rail network. Integrated with the European rail network to the west and the Middle Corridor to the east, Railport strengthens Türkiye’s role as a bridge between Europe and Asia through its connections extending to the Caucasus, Central Asia and China. With this position, Railport forms part of a broader Eurasian logistics network extending beyond the Türkiye–Germany corridor. Operating across an area of 265,000 square metres, Railport contributes to Türkiye’s intermodal logistics infrastructure with an annual handling capacity of 360,000 TEU of containers, 1.5 million tonnes of general cargo, 130,000 finished vehicles and 125,000 trailers. The terminal also features 20,000 square metres of covered warehousing space and provides services for various cargo types, including containers, trailers, swap bodies, finished vehicles and general cargo. The rail connection established between Kartepe and Duisburg contributes to the development of intermodal transport between Türkiye and Europe, while Railport plays an important role in Türkiye’s goal of becoming a stronger logistics hub for cargo flows between East and West.
