Book Presentation: The Armenian Wedge in the Path of Turan: The Issue of the “Zangezur Corridor”:

This book explores the origins, evolution, and attempted implementation of the political project widely known since 2020 as the Zangezur Corridor.

The work argues that the conceptual foundations of this project can be traced back to the early 20th century, when the Ottoman Empire sought to establish a zone of influence in the South Caucasus by securing a contiguous border with the newly established Republic of Azerbaijan. In Ottoman political thought, the creation of an uninterrupted Turkic corridor through the Caucasus was viewed as a strategic objective to extend influence beyond the Caspian Sea and to lay the groundwork for the formation of the so-called “Turkic World” (Turan).

At the time, this vision was referred to as the “Path of Turan.” From the Turkish standpoint, the main obstacle (or “wedge” in Turkish) to realizing this geopolitical vision was Armenia, specifically its southern territories — Nakhijevan, Syunik, and Artsakh — which were seen as key barriers to establishing territorial continuity in the region.

Through a comprehensive historical analysis, the book documents various attempts by Turkey to open such a corridor from the 1910s to 2025. It examines the place of the Zangezur Corridor project within the broader Turkish-Azerbaijani political and ideological frameworks, as well as its implications in the regional geopolitical context. Particular attention is given to the direct and indirect threats posed by the project to the Republic of Armenia.

About the Speaker(s):

Dr. Varuzhan Geghamyan, Associate Professor, Turkish Studies, Yerevan State University

Dr. Ruben Melkonyan, Dean, College of Oriental Studies, Yerevan State University