Syunik corridor plan serves Turkish-Azerbaijani interests: Ishkhan Saghatelyan

Speaking to reporters, Ishkhan Saghatelyan, MP from the Hayastan faction and representative of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun Supreme Body in Armenia, warned that the so-called “Zangezur Corridor” project is entirely backed by the Turkish-Azerbaijani alliance and supported by other international actors serving their own interests.

He stressed that the plan directly contradicts Armenia’s national interest and poses a threat to its regional allies, especially Iran.

Saghatelyan argued that the project would not lead to peace or open communications in the region. Instead, he claimed it introduces extra-regional powers that would destabilize the South Caucasus. He criticized Armenia’s current government for turning the country into a battleground for competing foreign interests.

“For four years they denied having made any corridor-related agreement. I’ve said all along: the corridor was already conceded. The question now is who will control it. And it turns out that a U.S. company might be in charge,” he said, warning that American control of infrastructure near Iran’s border carries severe consequences. “This must be prevented by all means.”

Earlier, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barak suggested that issues like regional transit routes could be resolved by leasing infrastructure for 100 years—a solution, he said, that works in the U.S. but may face cultural obstacles in the South Caucasus.