Turkey, Jordan work on maritime route project

Turkey and Jordan are working on a new project, a maritime route between the ports of partner countries, according to Jordan’s minister of transport.

“One of the projects that will be launched soon is the Ro-Ro route from Turkish ports to Port of Aqaba,” Jamal Ali Mucahid said in an exclusive interview.

“We will do our best to realize a successful project,” Mucahid added.

The project aims to bypass the routes between Turkish ports and Jordan’s sole port through Syria, which were cut off by the eruption of the conflict there in 2011.

In 2016, Turkey and Jordan agreed on a Ro-Ro route -- also known as Roll-on/Roll-off -- between the southern port of Iskenderun Turkey and Jordan’s Aqaba, but the deal didn’t become operational.

On Thursday, Ankara and Amman signed two deals on cooperation in marine and air transportation fields during the Turkey-Jordan Joint Transportation Meeting.

Mucahid also noted Turkish Airlines (THY) would relaunch direct flights to Aqaba three times a week.

The THY’s Aqaba flights, launched in 2013, were halted in 2016 after Jordan authorities imposed 40 Jordanian Dinar ($56) per passenger charge on the airlines having regular flights from King Husseyin Airport.