“ACNIS ReView from Yerevan”. The so-called “Zangezur Corridor,” whose inviolability Nikol Pashinyan had long and emphatically assured, has in fact been surrendered. Whether the Azerbaijani-Turkish side calls it the “Zangezur Corridor,” or the Armenian side refers to it as the “Crossroads of Peace,” the essence remains unchanged: Armenia is losing a significant portion of its sovereignty, with potentially dangerous consequences, while its age-old adversaries gain ground. Azerbaijan secures an extraterritorial route through Syunik, connecting it to Nakhichevan, while Turkey obtains a tangible opportunity to access Central Asia.
There is a widespread belief that the agreement to hand over the “corridor” was reached during the Armenian prime minister’s visit to Turkey on June 19–20, and was further solidified during the five-hour Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization talks between Aliyev and Pashinyan in Abu Dhabi — a location proposed by Azerbaijan. In the context of Pashinyan’s visit to Turkey, it is worth briefly highlighting several notable points from his speech to the Armenian community in Istanbul. Incidentally, during this meeting, he inadvertently disclosed his intention to share his vision regarding a significant geopolitical shift in Eurasian trade — the “Middle Corridor,” officially known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). TITR connects Western China to Europe, bypassing both Russia’s Northern Corridor and the Suez Canal. Pashinyan expressed his desire to discuss this initiative with President Erdogan and to understand Turkey’s stance on his “Crossroads of Peace” concept.
Pashinyan specifically stated: “One of the features of the ‘Crossroads of Peace’ initiative is that it is fully integrated into the ‘Middle Corridor’ project, which is supported and promoted by Turkey. And at least for me, it is evident that the ‘Crossroads of Peace’ can be part of the ‘Middle Corridor’ project, and today I will definitely discuss this topic with President Erdogan.” Just days later, Erdogan publicly praised official Yerevan, remarking: “Although Armenia initially opposed the ‘Zangezur Corridor,’ it is now showing a more flexible approach regarding participation in the economic integration process.”
In recent months, Turkey and Azerbaijan have increasingly highlighted the “Zangezur Corridor” on various international platforms, attempting to portray it as a crucial contribution to East-West trade and freight transportation. However, according to experts from the “Luys” Analytical Center, assessments based on the economic performance of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway indicate that the “Zangezur Corridor” holds little genuine economic value. In reality, it is a political project designed to serve the pan-Turkic and geopolitical interests of Turkey and Azerbaijan.
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It is clear that the beneficiaries of the corridor passing through Armenia’s sovereign territory — specifically via Meghri — or as the West terms it, the “Middle Corridor,” are not limited to Turkey and Azerbaijan. Around a dozen countries, including China, Iran, Russia, and several European states, are involved. All these countries, including the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem, are aware that the “corridor” remains a highly sensitive issue for Armenia. According to a source cited in the Armenian press, to avoid sparking public outrage, the parties intend to use the most “cautious” language possible in the forthcoming Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty.
Specifically, the term “Zangezur Corridor” will be replaced with the more neutral phrase “unblocking of communication routes,” allowing Nikol Pashinyan to claim: “You see? We didn’t concede any corridor.” The next maneuver is expected to be the signing of a document between Pashinyan and the EU, officially stating that “the routes passing through Syunik are being opened within the framework of Armenia-EU cooperation and the ‘Middle Corridor’ project.” The term “Crossroads of Peace” will likely appear once or twice in the agreement as a symbolic nod to the Civil Contract party’s supporters. In reality, however, the “corridor” being opened is the road to Turan — the long-cherished dream of Turkey.
The Armenian Center for National and International Studies