Armenia's Foreign Minister Says Türkiye Dialogue Has Reached Point Where Normalization Is Possible
By Bosphorus News Geopolitics Desk
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told a meeting of the National Assembly's Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Relations on Monday that relations with Türkiye are "quite dynamic, positive and take the form of a promising dialogue." He said the dialogue has progressed to a point where establishing diplomatic relations and opening the border are now achievable. "We convey this to our Turkish partners as well," he said.
Where the Process Stands
Armenia and Türkiye have no formal diplomatic relations. Türkiye closed its land border with Armenia in 1993, during the first Nagorno-Karabakh war. The two countries restarted formal normalization talks in late 2021, appointing special envoys: Deputy Parliament Speaker Ruben Rubinyan for Armenia and Ambassador Serdar Kılıç for Türkiye. The envoys have met six times since January 2022.
Their most recent meeting, held in Yerevan in September 2025, the first ever on Armenian soil, produced an agreement to expedite the opening of border crossings for third-country nationals and diplomatic passport holders, a deal first reached in July 2022 that has yet to be implemented. The envoys also agreed to begin technical studies on restoring the Gyumri-Kars railway and assess requirements for the Akhurik-Akyaka rail border gate. In December 2025, the two sides agreed to waive e-visa fees for diplomatic, special and service passport holders from January 1, 2026.
As Bosphorus News reported in October 2025, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's visit to Germany brought renewed international backing for the normalization process, with Berlin publicly supporting steps toward reopening the border and establishing diplomatic ties.
Türkiye's Position
Türkiye has consistently linked progress on normalization to developments in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reiterated in November 2025 that Ankara would normalize relations with Armenia after Armenia and Azerbaijan sign a final peace treaty. In December 2025, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Türkiye would take "some symbolic steps" in early 2026 as part of the normalization process.
Armenian special envoy Rubinyan, asked about those steps in January 2026, declined to preview developments, saying he preferred to make announcements only once something had actually occurred.