Media reports say Turkey and Azerbaijan close to agreement with Armenia allowing them to control ‘Zangezur Corridor’

Conflicts within Armenia and between Russia and Azerbaijan have one common cause: reshaping the political map of the South Caucasus, Svobodnaya Pressa writes.

In an article for the influential liberal publication Serbestiyet (Freedom), political analyst Yunus Emre Erdeliyon directly states: “Turkey and Azerbaijan’s tandem is playing an increasingly important role in the region. And if initially Russia was forced to tolerate this, now it no longer concedes to blackmail.”

“Tural Ganjeli openly accused Russia of ‘chauvinism, discrimination, and Islamophobia.’ Baku is deliberately escalating tensions to extract concessions from Moscow regarding a peace agreement with Armenia, particularly on the issue of the Zangezur Corridor,” Baran Dergisi writes.

Referring to its sources, the publication notes that Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia are close to an agreement that would allow them to take control of this transport corridor, excluding Russia.

It is no coincidence that Turkey has been supporting peace between the two countries so actively, and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted Prime Minister Pashinyan in Istanbul last month.

“Zangezur is located in a region of interest to many countries. The most important sides involved in this complex equation are Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Turkey. Since many potential participants in the Zangezur Corridor project have different interests, their clashes have led to increased geopolitical tension,” the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet writes.

Turkish publication Iran Para Analiz states that one obstacle to the Zangezur Corridor is Iran, which is strongly opposed to opening the corridor.

However, Iran is weakened by attacks from the U.S. and Israel, and its current situation has opened a new window of opportunities for Turkey and Azerbaijan.