Trump Corridor; Construction Begins on Railway from Turkey to Nakhchivan

In line with the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement and Donald Trump’s plan to establish a free transit corridor in the region, Turkey has started construction of the railway from Kars Province to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan.

According to Euronews, citing Reuters, this railway will be part of the South Caucasus transit corridor, known as the “Trump Path for International Peace and Prosperity,” over which the United States has exclusive operational rights. The project aims to strengthen economic relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Managing and developing this corridor, which is intended to connect mainland Azerbaijan through Armenian territory to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, had been one of the main obstacles in earlier peace efforts.

The railway from Kars to Nakhchivan (yellow route)

This route will have an annual capacity to transport 5.5 million passengers and 15 million tons of cargo.

Abdulkadir Oraloglu, Turkey’s Minister of Transport, stated at the groundbreaking ceremony that the 224-kilometer railway will connect the Dilucu border crossing in Turkey to Nakhchivan and the main railway line in the neighboring Kars Province.

He added that the route will handle 5.5 million passengers and 15 million tons of cargo annually.

Oraloglu noted: “This corridor will enhance economic cooperation among Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia and will consolidate regional peace.”

He emphasized that the project will help open borders and normalize diplomatic relations in the South Caucasus.

Last month, Turkey secured €2.4 billion to finance this project through a group of lenders including Japan’s MUFG Bank, Sweden’s Export Credit Agency (EKN), and subsidiaries of the Islamic Development Bank.

Oraloglu stated that upon completion of the sections concerning Nakhchivan, Armenia, and mainland Azerbaijan, the international trade route extending from China to the United Kingdom will become more efficient.