Title: Azerbaijani President and Turkish President Discuss Controversial Land Corridor in High-Level Talks
Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan – In a significant meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, discussions centered around the creation of a land corridor connecting Azerbaijan and Turkey via Armenia. The talks, held in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave, took place less than a week after Azerbaijani forces reclaimed control of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. This development has raised concerns in neighboring Armenia.
President Aliyev expressed his desire to establish a direct land route between Azerbaijan and Turkey. However, this proposition has been met with opposition from Armenia, who vehemently opposes the plan. Aliyev had previously hinted at the possibility of using force to create a contiguous land bridge between Azerbaijan and Turkey, effectively cutting off Armenia’s land border with Iran.
The severed connection between Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave, a consequence of Soviet-era decisions, was lamented by President Aliyev during the talks. This sparked concerns from an Armenian telegram channel, which speculated that Azerbaijan and Turkey might have intentions of targeting the Syunik province in southern Armenia.
President Erdogan and President Aliyev also had plans to visit a modernized military facility and participate in a ground-breaking ceremony for a gas pipeline from Turkey. These joint activities have drawn attention, particularly because Russia, which maintains military facilities in Armenia, has shown interest in strengthening ties with Azerbaijan and Turkey.
During the talks, President Erdogan called for a comprehensive peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, emphasizing the need for an opening of the Zangezur corridor. This corridor, as defined in the 2020 ceasefire agreement, carries different interpretations from both Azerbaijan and Armenia.
International media outlets Andrew Osborn and Nailia Bagirova reported on the high-level talks, with Andrew Osborn responsible for the writing, and Guy Faulconbridge taking charge of editing.
The outcome of this meeting between President Aliyev and President Erdogan and the subsequent discussions on the contentious land corridor will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the geopolitical dynamics of the region. As neighboring countries closely monitor these developments, it remains to be seen how this issue will be resolved and what consequences it may entail for all parties involved.
