BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 12. Türkiye would like
to create synergy between the Middle Corridor and
neighboring geographies, said Zafer Ateş, Director General for
Energy, Environment, and Transboundary Waters at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of Türkiye.


“The Caspian is more than a region of hydrocarbon resources. We
have so many opportunities for transport as well; and, therefore,
we are carrying out many projects with our partners in the region.
The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is the backbone of the Middle
Corridor. As Türkiye, we support the TRIPP initiative...[which]
would add another dimension to the Middle Corridor, and enhance
its competitiveness,” he said, addressing the 10th anniversary
Trans-Caspian Forum, held by the Caspian Policy Center in
Washington, DC on June 10.


The Middle Corridor is a transport and trade route that passes
through a number of countries in the region and connects Asia with
Europe. It serves as an alternative to the traditional Northern and
Southern Corridors.


The route begins in China and runs through the countries of
Central Asia. It then crosses the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia,
and Türkiye, before reaching Europe. The Middle Corridor is a land
route that bypasses longer sea routes, connecting the eastern
regions of Asia, including China, with Europe.


Earlier, Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his
country will continue to support the development of the Middle
Corridor.







“The importance of the Middle Corridor, which passes through the
Caspian Sea and serves as a modern version of the Silk Road, is
growing every day. Together with Kazakhstan and other partners, we
will continue to promote the development of this corridor to expand
cargo transportation,” Erdogan said during a joint press conference
with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev following talks in Astana.


According to him, Türkiye aims to strengthen connectivity across
the region stretching from the Mediterranean to Central Asia.


In April 2026, an agreement was signed to finance the Istanbul
North Rail Crossing Project (INRAIL) to strengthen Türkiye’s
transport connectivity and develop the Middle Corridor. INRAIL
project is aimed at eliminating one of the key “bottlenecks” of the
Middle Corridor, the crossing over the Bosphorus. The project aims
to increase the railways’ capacity from 3 million to 50 million
tons per year.