Turkey plans to add tunnel to N.Cyprus highway project

The Turkish transportation minister said on Sunday that a mountain tunnel would be constructed as part of a highway project to be initiated thanks to Turkey's financial support in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

As part of his talks in TRNC, Turkish Transportation Minister Mehmet Habib Soluk visited the Northern Coast Highway in TRNC whose construction continues under Turkey's financial assistance.

During the visit, Soluk said that studies were underway to build a highway between Turkish Cypriot cities of Lefkosa and Girne, and if the feasibility studies yielded to positive results, a tunnel, passing through Besparmak Mountains, would be built as part of the project.

Soluk and his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Ersan Saner later signed a cooperation protocol on transfer of construction materials and machinery to TRNC.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Soluk said that Turkey's goal was to build a total of 875 km of high-standard highways in TRNC between the years 2010-2020.

Saner said in his part that Turkish and Turkish Cypriot public works ministries were in close cooperation and Turkey had been making remarkable contributions to TRNC's transportation infrastructure.

Turkish Minister Soluk is scheduled to complete his talks and depart from TRNC on Monday.


/World Bulletin/