European Union transport policy and cohesion of Turkey

Free movement of goods and people is one of the main principles of European Union. Electronic trade is improving with technologic development, but all products, except for virtual ones, should be transported eventually. Transportation is an important piece of foreign trade, tourism and our daily life. Transportation has direct and indirect effects on economy, social life and environment.EU has put the need of a common transportation policy into reality by regulations on acquis. The domination of land transport should be transferred to other models. The project trying to half the deaths is successfully continuing. Railways transport is to be revitalized, multimodal transport is encouraged. There are studies to improve safety at sea and prevent environmental disasters. To form a Single European Sky is one of the aims in air transport. EU tries to remove obstacles in preventing market economy and free competition.Every year thousands of people die on roads in Turkey, which is dominated by land transport. Particularly Marmaray and high speed train projects are revitalizing the rail transport. Sea transport is lacking in Turkey with seas surrounding the country. Air transport is improving after liberalization of the market.The implementation of EU acquis is partial in Turkey. It would be a long process to transfer the domination of land transport to other models. There are infrastructure and regulatory studies in railway sector. International agreement should be singed in sea transport. Public service requirements and international aviation agreements should be considered in air transport.