September 2, 2025 – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the understandings reached in Washington have “significantly accelerated” normalization between Azerbaijan and Armenia, expressing hope for a swift, durable peace in the South Caucasus.
Speaking to his traveling press pool on the flight back from China, Erdogan said he held separate, in-depth meetings with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the sidelines of the SCO events in Tianjin.
“I saw that both Aliyev and Pashinyan are on the same page,” he noted, adding that the sides have “largely overcome obstacles and reached the final stage.”
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Erdogan also stated there are “no problems or disagreements” regarding the Zangezur corridor, saying Aliyev is “even more confident” on this issue. He argued that, with peace in place, border crossings will reopen and road and rail links will intensify—delivering immediate gains to trade and connectivity across the region, including for Turkey. “Everyone in the region stands to benefit,” he said.
Addressing external concerns, the Turkish leader added that Russia and Iran will, over time, see their reservations about Zangezur as unfounded once the corridor’s practical advantages become clear.
