Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Establishment of Japan-Türkiye Diplomatic Relations: Unveiling commemorative wrapping train wagons of MARMARAY

　In 2024, Japan and Türkiye are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. In the long history of cooperation between the two countries, the Bosphorus Rail Tube Crossing Project (commonly known as “Marmaray”) is widely known as a representative friendship project between Japan and Türkiye.

　Wrapping train wagons commemorating the 100th anniversary have started the operation on the Marmaray Metro, and a commemorative ceremony was held on September 29, 2024. The ceremony was attended by the H.E. Mr. İşkurt, Vice Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, H.E. Mr. Amakawa, Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Dr. Eyigün, Director General of the AYGM, H.E. Mr. Katsumata, Ambassador of Japan to Türkiye, Mr. Toyama, Director General of the Middle East and Europe Department of JICA, and Mr. Watanabe, Chief Representative of JICA Türkiye, as well as representatives from many companies such as Taisei Corporation, Oriental Consultants Global Co., Ltd. and Yüksel Proje A.Ş., who were involved in the construction of Marmaray. Wrapping train wagons commemorating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Türkiye was also unveiled to the public.

　In Istanbul, which straddles the Asian and European continents, citizens once had to travel between the two continents by bridge or boat. It resulted in the chronic traffic congestion and high emissions of gases. In order to overcome the further increasing traffic demand, Marmaray was constructed across the Bosphorus. The Government of Japan has provided ODA loans for the project since 1999, and Taisei Corporation worked on the construction of a tunnel across the seabed in cooperation with a Turkish company. The construction of a tunnel on the seabed at its deepest point, about 60 meters from the sea level, was a success despite various difficulties. The Asian and European continents were finally connected by a metro.

　The idea of connecting Asia and Europe through underwater tunnel is said to have been first envisaged by the Ottoman Sultan Abdülmecid I in 1860. Marmaray's success was truly the realization of Türkiye's 150-year-old dream through cooperation between Türkiye and Japan. During construction, there were difficulties unique to Istanbul, a city with such long history. For example, the construction was delayed due to the excavation of various historical ruins and artifacts. Despite all the difficulties, Marmaray finally started the operation in 2013, the year of the 90th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye. Now, Marmaray is contributing to people's daily lives.

　Throughout the ceremony, the attendees expressed their appreciation to everyone involved in the Project, including the Government of Türkiye, contractors, archaeological experts, Taisei Corporation, Oriental Consultants Global, Avrasya Consulting, and the local community.

　Furthermore, at midnight on the same day, a commemorative plaque installed in the centre of the Marmaray’s underwater tunnel was unveiled. The plaque was bolted and installed by then-Turkish Prime Minister Mr. Erdogan and the former Japanese Prime Minister Mr. Abe at the time of the opening in 2013.

　The only remaining construction in Marmaray is the construction of the area around the historic Haydarpaşa railway station, which once served as the starting point of the Berlin–Baghdad railway. The construction is in the final stages with the cooperation of Oriental Consultants Global Co., Ltd.

　At the ceremony, Mr. Toyama, Director General of JICA's Middle East and Europe Department, described Marmaray as "a symbol of admiration and trust towards further prosperity of the Republic of Türkiye by the Japanese government and JICA."
　We hope that, the partnership between Japan and Türkiye, which have been friends for many years, will be further deepened and strengthened through Marmaray in the next 100 years.