Yerevan, September 17, 2025
Armenian political analyst and Caucasus specialist Karen Igitian says the so-called “Trump Road” transit scheme – often discussed alongside the Zangezur corridor – would effectively exclude Armenia from regional logistics, arguing that Ankara and Baku have long sought Yerevan’s “maximum isolation.”
Speaking on Radio Sputnik Armenia, Igitian said it is unrealistic to expect Türkiye to open the border merely because Armenia has abandoned claims to Karabakh.
He called the closed frontier a pressure tool Ankara is unlikely to relinquish “in any near-term format that would let Armenia develop.”
Igitian cautioned that an open border would not automatically deliver major economic gains, pointing to Georgia as a case where decades of open crossings have not produced a markedly higher GDP per capita than Armenia’s.
He noted that Armenia made significant compromises – including steps in September 2023 and a Syunik memorandum – yet the Turkish border “remains shut,” and he warned of new demands surfacing, including debates over the Constitution and narratives around “Western Azerbaijan.”
On connectivity, Igitian argued the proposed corridor would be run in a way that Armenia does not control the operating road, with cargo moving Russia → Azerbaijan → Nakhchivan → Iran, “dropping Armenia from the chain.”
Addressing talk of rifts between Ankara and Baku, he said past disagreements – such as during the 2009 – 2010 Zurich Protocols – did not alter their stance toward Armenia.
On claims tied to Israeli – Iran tensions, he suggested the supposed split is overstated, noting Türkiye could have halted energy flows to Israel but did not, and contended that a weaker Iran has at times suited Ankara, particularly in the Syria file.
