Zangazur, Middle Corridor to boost Türkiye’s reach to Central Asia, Bolat says

Turkiye’s Minister of Trade, Ömer Bolat, said that Azerbaijan occupies a strategically important position in providing Türkiye’s access not only to the Commonwealth of Independent States but also, in particular, to the countries of the Turkic world, Azernews reports.

Speaking at the 2nd Azerbaijan–Türkiye Investment Forum, Bolat noted that energy corridors and the Zangazur Corridor are expected to be completed in the near future, and together with Caspian Sea transit routes, will enable Türkiye to reach Central Asia and the Far East more rapidly and efficiently.

Bolat noted that the Middle Corridor, passing through Azerbaijan and Türkiye, will have an accelerating effect on global trade and will trigger significant growth in trade, production, and investment across countries and cities in the region.

Stressing that investment is one of the key drivers of trade, Bolat said the main focus of the forum is to further strengthen mutual investments. He added that Turkish and Azerbaijani political leaders, public officials, and business representatives are discussing concrete projects within the framework of the forum.

According to Bolat, the forum features panel discussions in finance, energy, transportation, agriculture, and education, bringing together deputy ministers and private sector leaders. He also highlighted that the event includes project presentations and B2B meetings, making the forum a highly productive platform for cooperation.

Bolat noted that Turkish and Azerbaijani investors had already engaged actively prior to the forum. He said that total mutual investments between Türkiye and Azerbaijan have reached $39–40 billion, with around 3,000 Azerbaijani companies operating in Türkiye and around 7,000 Turkish companies active in Azerbaijan.

Pointing to the strong alignment between public authorities and market regulations in both countries, Bolat said that increased investment naturally leads to expanded trade - an outcome consistently observed worldwide.

He welcomed Azerbaijan’s efforts to diversify its economy beyond the energy sector, particularly in agriculture, industry, and other non-oil sectors, describing these initiatives as steps in the right direction.

Bolat also underlined that Türkiye serves as a key transit hub for Azerbaijan’s rich natural resources to reach global markets. He added that under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, Türkiye’s national income has grown 7.5 times over the past 23 years, exceeding $1.5 trillion, creating significant opportunities for Azerbaijani entrepreneurs to access global markets.