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As global supply chains move away from Russia-dependent routes and congested maritime pathways, the Middle Corridor connecting China to Europe via Central Asia and Türkiye is emerging as a major Eurasian trade link, strengthening Türkiye’s role as a key hub between East and West.
The corridor stretches from China’s Lianyungang province through Kazakhstan, crosses the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan and Georgia, and reaches Türkiye.
It is increasingly viewed as an alternative to Russia-based routes and traditional maritime corridors facing rising costs and security pressures.
Institutional coordination along the Middle Corridor accelerated following a 2013 agreement among Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia, with China later joining the framework.
The completion of the Trans-Kazakhstan railway and the launch of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway line in 2017 enabled uninterrupted rail transport from China to Europe.
The Zangezur Corridor, which would link mainland Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan through Armenia, remains under negotiation but is seen as a potential addition that could further streamline trans-Caspian connectivity into Türkiye.
A Boston Consulting Group (BCG) report released in November said global trade routes are being restructured due to risks in the Suez Canal and geopolitical pressures affecting Russia-based corridors.
According to the report, cargo volumes transported through the Middle Corridor rose 62% in 2024 to 4.5 million tons and are expected to reach 5.2 million tons by the end of the year.
Transit times have also shortened. While China-Europe routes via Russia take 20 to 25 days and maritime routes take 35 to 45 days, the Middle Corridor averages about 18 days.
Experts say transit times could fall to 14 days with improved customs harmonization, expanded roll-on/roll-off capacity on the Caspian Sea and full use of rail infrastructure.
The strategic partnership agreement signed by Azerbaijan and China in October is viewed as a key step in expanding the Middle Corridor, committing both sides to closer cooperation on customs, logistics and multimodal infrastructure.
Türkiye’s role has become more prominent with the first train departure from the Railport intermodal terminal in Kocaeli province in November.
Once fully operational, Railport is expected to handle 360,000 TEU containers, 1.5 million tons of general cargo and 125,000 trailers annually.
Türkiye, Kazakhstan and private-sector partners have also signed a memorandum of understanding to expand multiparty roll-on/roll-off operations on the Caspian Sea.
Port expansion projects are underway in Aktau, Kuryk and Baku to increase regional capacity.
The European Union has assessed the Middle Corridor as a “strategic alternative” for Europe, with capacity projected to reach 11 million tons by 2030 if issues such as rail-gauge differences and border procedures are resolved.
Ergun Ariburnu, chairperson of OMSAN Logistics, said shifting global supply chains are amplifying the importance of the Middle Corridor and transforming Türkiye from a transit country into a logistics hub.
“Türkiye’s greatest advantage is its unique geography,” Ariburnu told Anadolu Agency.
He said the country’s position at the intersection of Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the Caucasus and North Africa has evolved into a strategic asset affecting energy flows, trade and freight costs.
Ariburnu said the expansion of multimodal transport infrastructure has positioned Türkiye as a critical hub on both east-west and north-south axes.
He added that Türkiye’s industrial and manufacturing base supports sustainable, two-way trade flows.
He also said full digitalization along the route, including real-time tracking and unified customs procedures, would reduce uncertainty and inefficiencies.
Ariburnu said logistics has become a strategic economic and security tool amid geopolitical shifts and that Türkiye should strengthen its role by continuing infrastructure investments, increasing rail transport and improving port-rail integration.
He said Türkiye should aim to be a standard-setting and agenda-shaping actor in projects such as the Middle Corridor, the Development Road and the Zangezur Corridor.
Eric Rudenshiold, senior fellow for Caucasus Affairs at the Caspian Policy Center, described the Middle Corridor as one of the most strategically significant trade routes of the 21st century.
He said the route offers Central Asia and the South Caucasus a viable pathway to global markets that does not rely on Russia or China, reducing exposure to political pressure and restrictive trade conditions.
Rudenshiold said the corridor allows regional states to connect directly to Türkiye and onward to European and Mediterranean markets, strengthening economic sovereignty and negotiating leverage.
Rudenshiold said Türkiye’s industrial and logistics capabilities, combined with Central Asia’s production capacity, position the region as an increasingly important part of global supply chains.
He said Türkiye’s ports, railways, energy terminals and involvement in strategic minerals make large-scale trans-Caspian trade feasible, turning Türkiye into a central economic partner rather than a transit point.
Rudenshiold also noted that Türkiye’s growing intermodal capacity, including Railport, signals its emergence as one of Eurasia’s key logistics hubs and emphasized the importance of shared standards, digital integration and customs harmonization along the corridor.
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