Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on January 15 that Ankara expects the so-called Zangezur Corridor to be implemented in line with Azerbaijan’s demands and made clear that progress is tied to Armenia’s parliamentary elections scheduled for early June. “As you know, elections will be held in Armenia in early June. This will be an important step. We see that Mr. Pashinyan is currently leading in public opinion polls,” he said. “We sincerely support the constructive role he is playing on this issue. This approach and this determination must be maintained.”
Speaking at a press conference, Fidan described the so-called Zangezur Corridor as strategically important for the Middle Corridor, formally known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, particularly in terms of linking Nakhijevan with Azerbaijan. He said the project also carries broader regional significance.
Fidan added that the Middle Corridor would benefit Turkey by providing direct access to the Turkic world and Central Asia, noting that intensive work is currently underway in this direction.
He said that while Armenia’s foreign minister was in the United States, a document outlining proposals related to what Turkey and Azerbaijan refer to as the so-called Zangezur Corridor was published, adding that several technical issues remain unresolved.
“We have examined this document very carefully. Yesterday, I spoke for nearly two hours with my esteemed colleague Jeyhun Bayramov about its content and interpretation, because their perspective is important. We have also informed our president.”
According to Fidan, Turkey wants the existing agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia to be formally finalized through signing and hopes that normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia will advance as soon as possible. He said there is political will among the leadership of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Turkey, adding that Armenia needs to take only a few remaining steps.
