The 1,768 km BTC pipeline carries Caspian crude from Azerbaijan through Georgia to Türkiye's Mediterranean coast — the first major export route from the former Soviet Caspian to bypass both Russia and Iran, followed within a year by the parallel South Caucasus gas pipeline.
Why it mattersBTC created the region's modern economic geometry: Azerbaijani revenue, Georgian transit income, Turkish leverage, Western stake — and Armenian exclusion. Every corridor argument since, including the Middle Corridor and the Syunik question, extends this map.
Confidence: HighSources: Established historical record · bp Azerbaijan pipeline and project disclosuresMethodologyCorrections