1 5 . ▁ ▁On ▁his ▁personal ▁website , ▁Y ı ld ı r ı m ▁has ▁claimed ▁that ▁ 1 7 , 5 0 0 ▁kilom eters ▁of ▁new ▁motor ways , ▁ 2 9 ▁new ▁air ports ▁and ▁ 1 , 2 1 3 ▁kilom eters ▁of ▁high - speed ▁railway ▁were ▁constructed ▁during ▁his ▁term ▁as ▁Minister . ▁ ▁Rail ▁network ▁expansion ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁the ▁government ▁launched ▁Turkey ' s ▁first ▁high - speed ▁rail ▁project , ▁the ▁H ı z land ı r ı lm ı ş ▁tren ▁(" F ast ▁train "). ▁On ▁ 4 ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁Y ı ld ı r ı m ▁o vers aw ▁the ▁launch ▁of ▁construction ▁works ▁on ▁the ▁first ▁branch ▁between ▁An k ara ▁and ▁E ski ş eh ir , ▁that ▁was ▁eventually ▁inaugur ated ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁with ▁total ▁costs ▁of ▁ <0xE2> <0x82> <0xBA> 7 . 5   mill ion ▁to ▁upgrade ▁the ▁tracks , ▁rolling ▁stock ▁and ▁increase ▁the ▁speed ▁of ▁trains ▁on ▁the ▁route ▁to ▁. ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁work ▁was ▁completed ▁to ▁increase ▁the ▁average ▁train ▁spe eds ▁to ▁ ▁throughout ▁Turkey . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁the ▁line , ▁operated ▁by ▁a ▁subs idi ary ▁of ▁the ▁Turkish ▁State ▁Rail ways ▁( T CD D ), ▁was ▁extended ▁to ▁ İ stan bul , ▁comple ting ▁the ▁An k ara – İ stan bul ▁high -