Work on a railroad connecting the Turkish city of Kars to the Igdir region bordering Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan is scheduled to begin later this year, Türkiye's Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu told TGRT Haber.
The minister recalled that the 224-km railroad in eastern Türkiye is a crucial component of the Zangezur corridor.
"Construction work from Kars to the Dilucu border crossing point on the Azerbaijan border will take about 5 years," Uraloglu said.
He noted that building the railroad section between the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and the Zangilan district might also take several years. The minister highlighted the importance of completing railroad construction in the regions of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation and modernizing rails in Nakhchivan.
"The full-fledged functioning of the transportation corridor will be possible in 2028–2029. This route has significant economic and strategic importance for Türkiye and the entire region," Uraloglu said.
He discussed the importance of the Zangezur Corridor for global trade, mentioning the risks associated with incidents in the Suez Canal and the Red Sea.
"The opening of the Zangezur Corridor will provide a crucial new alternative for establishing economic ties between Asia and Europe," Uraloglu said.
Additionally, the minister did not rule out the possibility of the Zangezur Corridor passing through Armenia and Iran.
"We know that Azerbaijan is negotiating with Iran on this matter. The final decision has not been made yet. I do not exclude that some sections of the corridor will also pass through Iran and Armenia," Uraloglu said.
