Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev is pushing for the creation of a Turkic trade corridor that would connect Central Asia’s resource-rich regions to Western markets. According to the Azerbaijani leader, Turkic-based states should work in 2026 to increase coordination and cooperation alongside trade. He further stated that there should also be a focus on developing a robust security aspect to deepen regional coordination.
This vision of a Turkic trade corridor was expanded upon alongside the founding of the Organisation of Turkic States, which would act as the proposed corridor’s foundation. The first steps of this development can be identified when Azerbaijan was formally welcomed as an official member during an annual council of Central Asian states.
Aliyev put forward the opinion that Azerbaijan is the key actor for the Turkic corridor, stating that Baku is the only reliable country that can geographically connect Central Asia with the West. It was further stated that Baku would also be able to facilitate trade between northern and southern regions. This argument is reasonable, as a Turkic trade corridor running through Baku could act as an alternative to routes that would otherwise have to pass through Afghanistan and connect to either Iran or Pakistan.
The development of multiple ambitious trans-Caspian infrastructure projects was also highlighted, including a power line to transmit electricity generated from renewable sources in Central Asia westward to the European Union. These projects were cited as examples of rapid development that could support the corridor.
It appears that Aliyev is confident that, due to the provisional peace deal agreed upon between Armenia and Azerbaijan, construction of the corridor that would need to pass through Armenian territory would proceed and that surrounding issues would be resolved.
However, it must be noted that other Central Asian leaders who would need to be involved have yet to directly respond to the initiative, particularly regarding the strengthening of a security component. Therefore, the proposal remains primarily an economic initiative at present. It is also highly unlikely that a security component would be implemented universally, especially given existing animosities within the region.
BakuTiflis 