Turkey’s first high-speed train service began in 2009.
The initial service operated between Ankara and Eskişehir. It introduced high-speed rail to Turkey before later extensions reached Konya and Istanbul through additional infrastructure projects.
Turkey’s high-speed network is operated by Turkish State Railways and uses dedicated or upgraded routes. The Ankara–Eskişehir connection was the first completed part of the country’s planned high-speed corridors.
The 2009 date refers to the start of passenger high-speed operation, not the completion of Turkey’s later routes. Ankara–Istanbul services began afterward, once the railway was extended westward in stages.