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Turkey cautiously welcomed Chinese projects for reviving the “silk roads” as part of a policy called One Belt One Road (OBOR) and then the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Following a bilateral trade agreement signed in 2015, Chinese investments in Turkey have increased significantly, especially in the sectors of construction, transportation, energy and finance. In a context characterized by an economic recession, international tensions and geographical disparities inside Turkey, these investments provide the government with an alternative lever for territorial planning and development. However they are restricted to occasional, “symbolic” partnerships that fall short of fulfilling the dream of a new silk road running from China to Turkey. Is the BRI turning out to be a political, “symbolic” partnership?