ANKARA (Realist English). Ankara and Baku have stepped up efforts to implement the so-called “Zangezur corridor” – a project that the Armenian side and international experts view as a tool for pan-Turkic expansion and a violation of Armenia’s sovereignty.
Against the backdrop of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s statements about “support for peace” between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Baku and Ankara are rapidly building railway infrastructure designed to connect Turkey with occupied Nakhichevan, bypassing Armenian territory.
The so-called ‘Zangezur corridor’: a project of annexation and division
The project, which Ankara and Baku call the “Zangezur corridor,” envisages the construction of a transport route through the southern regions of Armenia – Zangezur. According to the project’s architects, the corridor is meant to connect Turkey with Azerbaijan and, beyond that, with the Turkic world of Central Asia.
However, as experts note, this is an attempt to create an extraterritorial corridor that would effectively cut Armenia in two and deprive it of sovereignty over its own territory.
According to Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, construction of the Kars – Iğdır – Aralık – Dilucu railway line, 224 km long on Turkish territory, has already begun. In occupied Nakhichevan, the modernisation and construction of about 180 km of railway lines are planned.
“Work on the Azerbaijani section of the corridor is nearing completion,” Uraloğlu said. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, in turn, reported that the road is almost 90% ready, and the railway about 70%.
The main obstacle remains the 41–43 km section passing through Armenian territory. It is this stretch, which Turkey and Azerbaijan intend to bring under their control, that is the bone of contention.
Ankara and Baku are putting pressure on Yerevan, demanding that they be given a “corridor” through Zangezur, which the Armenian side rightly regards as an encroachment on territorial integrity and sovereignty.
‘Peace’ Turkish-style: rhetoric as a cover
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated in early August 2026 that Turkey “supports the process of achieving lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.” However, behind this rhetoric lies a cynical game: Ankara is using the peace agenda as a cover for advancing its geopolitical interests in the region.
Fidan has repeatedly emphasised that the normalisation of relations between Turkey and Armenia “continues in close coordination with Azerbaijan.” In other words, Ankara is making its relations with Yerevan dependent on Baku’s interests, effectively denying Armenia the right to an independent foreign policy.
The Turkish minister also stated Turkey’s readiness “to implement new projects at Azerbaijan’s fields,” which confirms that the economic cooperation between Ankara and Baku is aimed not at stabilising the region, but at strengthening their dominance in the South Caucasus.
‘Trump’s Route’ as a cover
The so-called “Zangezur corridor” project is being promoted under the auspices of the US initiative TRIPP (Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity) , signed in August 2025 in Washington. Under this scheme, Armenia is to grant the US exclusive long-term rights for up to 99 years to develop the route through which Azerbaijan plans to establish a land connection with occupied Nakhichevan.
In fact, this involves the creation of an extraterritorial corridor under US administration, which is a gross violation of Armenia’s sovereignty. The Armenian side rightly views this initiative as an attempt to legitimise the annexation of its territories under the guise of a “peace project.”
Reaction of Armenia and Iran: resistance to expansion
Armenia consistently rejects demands for an extraterritorial corridor through its territory. Yerevan insists that any transport communications must operate within the sovereignty and jurisdiction of Armenia, not in the format of a “corridor” with a special status.
Iran, for its part, also expresses concern over the implementation of the so-called “Zangezur corridor,” seeing it as a threat to its interests and an attempt to change the geopolitical balance in the region. Tehran views the project as a tool to cut Iran off from Armenia and the South Caucasus.
What’s next?
Ankara and Baku continue the accelerated implementation of the so-called “Zangezur corridor,” despite protests from Armenia and Iran. The Turkish transport minister has stated that the project will be completed “within five years.”
The rhetoric of “peace” and “cooperation” from Ankara and Baku should not be misleading. Behind it lies a cynical geopolitical game aimed at establishing Turkish-Azerbaijani dominance in the South Caucasus, annexing Armenian territories and creating a transport corridor that bypasses Armenia’s sovereignty.
The international community must clearly understand: the so-called “Zangezur corridor” is not a peace and development project, but a tool of pan-Turkic expansion that threatens the stability of the entire region.
