The aftermath of the Iran war has sharpened a core question in Eurasian geopolitics: Which states and corridors can still offer reliable connectivity when traditional routes are exposed to war, sanctions, and maritime disruption? Türkiye has moved quickly to argue that part of the answer lies in the Middle Corridor or Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) as it is formally known. Stretching from China through Central Asia, across the Caspian, through the South Caucasus and into Türkiye before reaching Europe, the route is not necessarily an invention; rather, it has recently returned to the apex of discussions on global trade. What has now shifted is its strategic context. Russia’s attack on Ukraine had already reduced the political attractiveness of the Northern Corridor for many European and international firms. The Iran war has added a second layer of uncertainty by weakening confidence in routes prone to Iranian influence and by intensifying concern that Gulf instability could spill into maritime arteries central to both Asian trade and European energy security. In this context, Ankara’s long-standing effort to convert geography into geopolitical leverage has acquired new urgency.
