State unclear
The roads from Armenia to Turkey have always functioned and I don't think there has ever been a problem. The road was open before the closing of the border and if there was a need to broaden the roads, it would be done," said press secretary for the Ministry of Transportation and Communication Susanna Tonoyan in response to the question as to whether it is possible to move cargo through the road from Armenia to Turkey which, according to our information, is rather narrow and hard to pass.
Economist Bagrat Asatryan told "A1+" that the Turkish-Armenian road has never functioned because Armenia has never had a border passing point. The only time it was opened was during NA Chairman Babken Ararktsyan's visit to Turkey when Ararktsyan had to head the session of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation organization and had told his Turkish counterpart to "either open the border so that he could come and head the session, or he had nothing to do in Turkey."
According to protocol, the NA chairman had to be accompanied by 20 people. At the time, the Turkish side opened the border and the Armenian side was able to reach Turkey. "In general, the road has not functioned," said Bagrat Asatryan.
As far as the state of roads is concerned, Susanna Tonoyan informed that the Ministry is only aware of the roads from Armenia to Turkey and has not conducted any studies on the roads outside Armenia.
In other words, if it hasn't studied the state of the roads leading to the port of the Turkish side, then the corresponding bodies would hardly announce that the trip to Europe through Turkey is cheaper and more suitable than through Georgia because first they would have to reach Turkey and then from Turkey to Europe.
Let us remind that the state of the railway is not perfect either. The Minister of Transportation and Communication recently informed that the widths of the Turkish and Armenian railways are different and the Armenian wagons can't pass through Turkey.
"Our wagons can't pass through Turkey because there is an issue concerning size. The small wagons mainly pass through our territory. Cargo is transported or the wagons change," said Minister Gurgen Sargsyan.
Today Susanna Tonoyan told "A1+"that although there is a difference between the Turkish and Armenian railways, "the rails of the Armenian side are a little broader and it was like that before, but Armenia had a terminal and the rails at the terminal were changed and the trip continued."
