45-46/2019
Over the past few years, Turkey has invested extensively and massively in its logistics infrastructure. Now this effort is bearing fruit. Many a company from Asia and Europe has set up a hub for goods flows in the country of late, enabling the local transport and logistics industry to benefit too.
Turkey’s recent military offensive against the Kurds in Syria could damage the country’s reputation as a logistics hotspot – and may create more losers than winners. Our Turkey Special in this issue clearly illustrates the long-term and strong dynamic of the logistics sector at the Bosphorus. The new Istanbul airport is one obvious symbol of this success. Slowly but surely it is unfolding its potential and setting new air transport standards in the region.
East of Turkey come the huge expanses of Iran and the Central Asian countries, extending all the way to China. This long-neglected region has become more and more attractive for the transport and logistics industry, also on account of China’s ‘One belt, one road’ initiative. The latest developments have also shown that local providers can also participate in the boom.
In contrast the boom in Iran, with its around 80 million inhabitants, has been put on hold for the moment by intensified US sanctions – which haven’t stopped the country from pushing ahead and modernising its ports. Now there’s a positive – logistics creating a ray of hope in a geopolitical imbroglio.
Marco Wölfli
Editor
