Turkic world pushes forward the Middle Corridor Connecting China and Europe faster than ever

Today, it is difficult to overestimate the importance of the Trans-Caspian transit along several routes of the Middle Corridor for Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and the countries of Central Asia. This corridor plays a crucial role in enhancing connectivity between China and Europe. Owing to its advantageous geographical position, Azerbaijan holds a unique role in these projects, possessing the most developed transport infrastructure in the region.

At present, all Central Asian countries and Türkiye face the task of expanding transport communications, and this work is being carried out within the framework of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS). It is therefore no surprise that the development of regional transport routes became a key topic of discussion at the second meeting of the heads of government and vice presidents of OTS member states, held in Baku on April 2.

Having invested billions of dollars in developing its transport infrastructure, Azerbaijan is today recognised as one of Eurasia’s key transport and logistics hubs. The country’s assets include modernised railway and highway networks, upgraded rolling stock, the largest merchant fleet on the Caspian Sea with more than fifty vessels, a state-of-the-art port in Alat with expanding dry cargo and container terminals, as well as nine international airports, including three newly built in the Karabakh region.

Notably, Azerbaijan independently modernised the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars (BTK) railway, increasing its annual capacity to 5 million tonnes. At the same time, the capacity of the Baku International Sea Trade Port is being gradually expanded to 25 million tonnes. Currently, the port’s container terminal has a capacity of 150,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units), which is expected to rise to 260,000 TEU within the next two years.

At the same time, Azerbaijan, together with its regional partners—Central Asian countries, Georgia, and Türkiye—is working to optimise regional transit logistics, harmonise customs legislation and transport tariffs, simplify cross-border procedures, and introduce digital mechanisms to ensure seamless multimodal transportation.

On April 2, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received participants of the meeting of Heads of Government/Vice President of member states of the Organization of Turkic States. In his remarks, the head of state emphasised that, alongside economic and investment issues, one of the key priorities currently on the agenda of OTS countries is the expansion of transport, logistics, and transit capabilities.

“The Middle Corridor, passing through our countries, serves the interests of us all. Especially in the current geopolitical environment, projects such as the Middle Corridor, the Trans-Caspian Corridor, and the Zangezur Corridor are becoming increasingly important,” President Ilham Aliyev said, noting that the majority of the work on Azerbaijan’s territory has already been completed.

“Our railways, the Baku Trade Port, highways, and airports—all transport infrastructure—have been brought to full readiness. Regarding the Zangezur Corridor, approximately 90 percent of the highway and about 70 percent of the railway have been completed. I hope that this project will be fully implemented in the near future.”

The point raised by the head of state regarding the international significance of Middle Corridor projects in the current geopolitical environment is particularly noteworthy. It is worth recalling that the strong growth dynamics of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) observed over the past four years have unfolded against the backdrop of the ongoing Russia–Ukraine conflict and restrictions on cargo transportation along the Northern Corridor.

As a result, a significant share of rail freight flows from China to Türkiye and Europe has shifted from the Northern route to the Trans-Caspian corridor, passing through Central Asia and the South Caucasus. Moreover, the ongoing war in the Persian Gulf, along with periodic threats to navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, has created serious obstacles for maritime shipping via the Suez Canal.

In contrast, the combined land-and-sea route of the TITR presents a fundamentally different picture, as it runs through countries with stable political environments and fully secure transport links. Furthermore, when using the TITR, block trains from China reach their destinations in approximately 20–25 days—roughly half the time required for maritime shipments via the Suez Canal, which typically take 40–50 days.

Over the past four years alone, delivery times along the Middle Corridor have been reduced from 58–60 days to 15–18 days, while cargo volumes have increased more than eightfold—from 600,000 tonnes in 2021 to 5 million tonnes in 2025.

“As a result of our joint efforts, transit shipments along the Middle Corridor continue to grow steadily: in 2025, this growth reached approximately 11%,” Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov said at the meeting of heads of government of the Organisation of Turkic States. “We are confident that further strengthening coordination among member states, simplifying border and customs procedures, implementing digital solutions, and harmonising tariff policies will further enhance the competitiveness of the Middle Corridor.”

The prime minister added that, in this context, the implementation of the Zangezur Corridor is of critical importance. This project is not limited to ensuring seamless connectivity between mainland Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (NAR); it also contributes to the unification of the entire Turkic world and the creation of new communication and transport opportunities on a broader scale.

It is worth noting that, through the efforts of JSC Azerbaijan Railways, the reconstruction and modernisation of the Nakhchivan section of the Zangezur Corridor, spanning 188 km, has already been completed. Construction work is currently underway at the border with Armenia, in the Salammalik station area of the Ordubad district.

Receiving participants of the meeting of heads of government of the member states of the Organisation of Turkic States, President Ilham Aliyev expressed satisfaction that construction had begun on the Kars–Nakhchivan railway in Türkiye. “The coordinated and synchronized implementation of these projects will open a new international corridor — a branch of the Middle Corridor. The railway infrastructure we have developed is designed to transport 15 million tons of cargo at the initial stage, with the potential for further expansion. In any case, the opening of a new corridor with a capacity of 15 million tons is of great importance not only for our countries but also for the wider region,” the President said. The project specifically involves connecting the railway infrastructure of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic with Türkiye through the under-construction Kars–Igdir–Aralık–Dilucu line, which spans 224 km.

All of these initiatives by Azerbaijan, as well as the joint efforts of regional partners to overcome bottlenecks in transport connectivity, are fully supported by the member states of the Organisation of Turkic States. In particular, during the OTS meeting in Baku, Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz highlighted the strong transport infrastructure of the Turkic states and their well-developed network of highways and railways, stressing that simplifying customs duties and facilitating trade are closely interlinked, and that OTS countries must strive to optimise these processes.

In turn, OTS Secretary-General Kubanychbek Omuraliev noted that freight volumes along the Middle Corridor are expected to increase by 10% in 2026, with similar growth anticipated in 2027. Maintaining this momentum, according to the Secretary-General, will require accelerating the development of the corridor’s infrastructure, establishing joint logistics centres and transport companies, forming a working group for the construction of modern vessels for the Caspian Sea, and leveraging resources from the Turkic Investment Fund to finance priority projects.

Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov emphasised that, amid rising geopolitical tensions, trade and the delivery of goods critical for the region’s food and energy security are facing disruptions. Against this backdrop, he sees the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) as one of the most reliable and secure transit corridors. “Given the growing institutional status of the Middle Corridor, we intend to sign a corresponding intergovernmental agreement with Azerbaijan in 2026. It is also necessary to integrate the Middle Corridor with the future Zangezur Corridor, and in this context, a number of Kazakh companies have expressed interest in participating in railway infrastructure modernisation projects,” the prime minister said.

A highly productive partnership is being implemented between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in the field of regional connectivity, and prospective infrastructure and logistics initiatives were discussed in Baku. In particular, the leadership of Azerbaijan Railways and the Government of Turkmenistan reviewed plans for modernising the infrastructure of the Turkmenbashi International Sea Port, including dredging works and increasing cargo volumes through the port. Both sides noted the need to enhance digital data exchange to ensure coordinated operations between the railway administrations and international seaports of the two countries, as well as to expand multimodal transportation.