The problem in the issue of the "Zangezur corridor" does not come from Armenia, but from Iran – Erdogan

Baku/14.06.23/Turan: The problem in the issue of the "Zangezur corridor" does not come from Armenia; it comes from Iran, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an interview with journalists who accompanied him during his first foreign trip to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Azerbaijan after his re-election. Turkey is betting on peace and stability in the region and the world. Dialogue and diplomacy are seen as priority levers in this direction, Erdogan said.

The President stressed that Turkey does not seek to distinguish between the West and the East in its foreign policy. "We are as close to the West as to the East,"  "Anadolu" agency quoted Erdogan.

The Head of State drew attention to the situation in the South Caucasus, noting that the promotion of the peace process between Baku and Yerevan will make a significant contribution to the normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia. "The doors to peace in the region, where there has been a lot of grief, are ajar. Therefore, the parties should not miss this chance and act responsibly," the Turkish leader stressed.

At the same time, he called the recent visit of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to Ankara an "important step". "By responding positively to the invitation of the Turkish side, Pashinyan overcame many obstacles and opposition sentiments in his country. I had the opportunity to have a brief chat with him during the ceremony. I expressed my gratitude in connection with my arrival in Turkey," the President said.

President Erdogan also called the words of the Armenian Prime Minister on the recognition of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, including the Karabakh region, "important". "However, as I said earlier, there are negative sentiments in Armenia against [Nikol] Pashinyan. And this is a very, very important point. Until today, Pashinyan has not taken a step back," the politician said.

According to him, Ankara will continue to work closely with Azerbaijan in the name of strengthening the unity of the Turkic world.

Touching upon the topic of the "Zangezur Corridor", the Turkish President noted that the problem in this issue does not come from Armenia, but from Iran. "Two countries [Iran and Azerbaijan. - approx. Anadolu], the majority of whose population are Muslims. Tehran's position is upsetting for Baku and Ankara. In fact, the situation should cause distress to them [Iran]," he said.

According to Erdogan, the duties on the transportation of railway goods are "very, very high." "I hope that this problem [carriage duty per wagon] will be solved soon. With a positive approach to communications issues in the region, it is possible to form a single railway and automobile network Turkey-Azerbaijan-Iran, and it will be possible to open the Beijing-London route," Erdogan did not rule out. ---16D---