Turkey has stepped up the promotion of the so-called Middle Corridor as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, hoping to open its border with Armenia and create a new trade route between Europe and Asia, writes the Financial Times.
This refers to the TRIPP project (Trump's Path to International Peace and Prosperity), supported by the US president as part of the peace initiatives between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Turkish authorities have already begun preparations to reopen the Alikan border crossing, closed 32 years ago, the article says.
„We do not know when the border will open; the date is constantly changing. "But everyone thinks it will happen soon," a Turkish border guard told the publication.
Ankara hopes to establish itself as a key transit hub amid risks to supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has previously said that Turkey is becoming an "island of stability" and is seen as a secure route for energy supplies.
The Middle Corridor envisions a land link between China and Europe via the Caucasus and Turkey. According to former Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, delivery along this route could take 12-15 days, compared to around 40 days by sea. The supply potential is expected to increase from 5 million to 20 million tons per year.
The EU calls Turkey a “critical partner“, and the expansion of the corridor “a game-changer“.
However, the project faces a number of risks: complex logistics across the Caspian Sea, differences in rail infrastructure and political factors. The route passes close to Iran and Russia.
Experts note that the implementation of TRIPP depends on political support and investment from the United States and in the short term it is unlikely to replace sea routes or the northern corridor through Russia.
Last fall, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced the imminent completion of the Zangezur transport corridor, known as the “Trump Road“, in the country. He noted that the railway, with a capacity of 15 million tons of cargo per year, will become a key link in the Middle Corridor - the Trans-Caspian international route.
The Zangezur Corridor is a planned transport route that will connect the mainland of Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through the Syunik province in southern Armenia. It will be approximately 40 kilometers long. The project is planned to include the construction of a highway and a railway.
The project was dubbed the “Trump Road to International Peace and Prosperity” after the signing of a peace declaration by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev during a meeting with Donald Trump.
The Zangezur Transport Corridor, which is currently under construction, has the potential to have a significant impact on the global economy. According to World Bank estimates, its opening could increase annual global trade by $50-100 billion by 2027.