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Turkish minister says Zangezur Corridor could go through Iran

Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said that the Zangezur route is largely ready, with the exception of some sections

ANKARA, October 5. /TASS/. The Zangezur Corridor could go through Iran if Armenia refuses to provide its soil for the transportation route, Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said on TRT television.

"The important question is whether the Zangezur Corridor will go through Armenia. In terms of real geographical conditions, the corridor will be beneficial to any of the territories it passes through. We think Armenia will assess this issue without politically-motivated considerations. Otherwise, a prospect would be raised for the corridor to pass through Iran's borders, as an alternative," Uraloglu said.

The minister said that to a large extent the Zangezur route is already in place, except for some sections of the pathway.

"There is a route that goes from Baku to the city of Khan (also known as Khankendi - TASS). Work is being carried out by a Turkish company to extend it to the Armenian border. There is a route about 110 km long in Nakhchivan, which requires just a little more work on the roads. After that, the route will go to Kars [in Turkey]. There will be 224 kilometers of roads on the Turkish territory," Uraloglu said.

According to the minister, work in Nakhchivan will begin shortly. And within a month, Turkey will hold a tender for the construction of the stretch of the route across its territory.

Azerbaijan has stated it wants to establish the so-called Zangezur Corridor, which would run through Armenia and connect Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave, an area sandwiched between Armenia and Turkey. The plan for the corridor involves building a highway and a railroad.

On September 26, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a news conference in Ankara that he hoped the Zangezur Corridor would soon become a reality.

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