Pashinyan Calls Erdogan as Official Ankara Again Cites ‘Zangezur Corridor’

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan meets with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Jun. 20, 2025

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a telephone conversation with President Recep Tayyip Erodgan of Turkey on Tuesday, when reportedly they discussed bilateral relations.

The call was initiated by Pashinyan, whose office said the prime minister conveyed his congratulations on the Muslim Eid holiday. Erdogan, in turn, reportedly congratulated Pashinyan on his 51st birthday.

According to a statement from Pashinyan’s office, the two also exchanged views on matters related to Armenia-Turkey relations and “commended the growing intensity of contacts between the two countries.”

In particular, they highlighted the recent visit of Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz to Armenia to participate in the European Political Community Summit last month. They also touched on the decision to establish procedures for direct trade between Turkey and Armenia, and the opening of the Akhalkalaki-Kars railway for exports from Armenia and imports into the country.

A similar statement was issued by Erdogan’s office.

As the Turkish and Armenian leaders seemingly extended niceties to one another, another Turkish official insisted on advancing the issue of the so-called “Zangezur Corridor,” an Azerbaijani ploy to create a road through Armenia to Nakhichevan. Baku essentially got its wish with the signing of the Trump Road for International Peace and Prosperity, which is being touted as the cure-all for the region’s challenges.

According to Turkey’s Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Ankara has demonstrated “political will” for the implementation of what he called the “Zangezur Corridor.”

“After the agreement between the U.S. and Azerbaijan, we expect to start the project as soon as possible. Thus, the Turkic world and Central Asia will be connected to us via a shorter route,” Uraloglu said.

He said the tender for the construction of the 224-kilometer Kars-Igdir-Aralik-Dilucu railway in Turkey has already been held, and work has begun.

Uraloglu added that the work on the Azerbaijani side is nearing completion, while the missing sections in Nakhchivan are expected to be built.

“We are also following the processes related to the ‘Zangezur Corridor’ through Armenia. When this railway is operational, we will have a much shorter connection with the Turkic world and Central Asia,” the Turkish official added.

Armenia’s Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Minister Davit Khudatyan participated in the official opening ceremony of the full operation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway in Akhalkalaki, Georgia on Tuesday.

In a social media post, Khudatyan said that the event was also attended by Uraloglu and Azerbaijan’s Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev, with who the Armenian minister had a brief interaction.

Simultaneously, a group of Armenian business leaders crossed the border to Turkey and attended a conference in Kars to discuss further cooperation between Armenia and Turkey.

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