Armenian PM to Arrive in Turkey for Historic Visit

Pashinyan is visiting Turkey at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan told reporters. The two leaders will have their meeting at Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul.

"This is a historic visit, as it will be the first time a head of the Republic of Armenia visits Turkey at this level. All regional issues will be discussed," he said.

"The risks of war (with Azerbaijan) are currently minimal, and we must work to neutralize them. Pashinyan's visit to Turkey is a step in that direction."

An Armenian Foreign Ministry official told Agence France-Presse (AFP) the two leaders will discuss efforts to sign a comprehensive peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the regional fallout from the Iran-Israel conflict.

Pashinyan has actively sought to normalize relations with both Baku and Ankara.

Earlier this year, he announced Armenia would halt its campaign for international recognition of the 1915 events to be termed as “genocide” -- a major concession to Turkey that sparked widespread criticism at home.

The visit by Pashinyan comes amid cautious optimism following a June 5 phone call between the Armenian and Turkish leaders. During the conversation, Erdoğan and Pashinyan reaffirmed their commitment to dialogue, continuing a fragile process toward rapprochement that began in recent years.

Pashinyan last visited Turkey in June 2023 to attend Erdoğan’s presidential inauguration – marking the first official visit by an Armenian leader to Turkey since 2009. That year, then-President Serzh Sargsyan of Armenia and President Abdullah Gül exchanged visits, with Gül’s trip to Yerevan remaining the only official visit by a Turkish president to Armenia.

The two countries share a complex history. Turkey recognized Armenia’s independence in 1991, but relations soured amid the First Karabakh War, when Armenia and Azerbaijan clashed over the disputed region. In 1993, Turkey severed diplomatic and commercial ties with Armenia, and the border between the two countries has remained closed ever since.

The Second Karabakh War, which ended in 2020, reignited hopes for renewed dialogue. In 2021, Ankara and Yerevan appointed special representatives tasked with normalizing relations and negotiating the reopening of their land border. So far, limited agreements have allowed third-country citizens and diplomats to cross, but a full reopening remains elusive.

Despite these hurdles, there have been tentative gestures toward cooperation. The Margara border crossing has been used twice in recent years for humanitarian purposes: in February 2023 to deliver Armenian aid trucks following a devastating earthquake in southeastern Turkey, and in March 2024 for humanitarian aid shipments to Syria via Turkey. Armenia has also upgraded the crossing in anticipation of future use.

Still, deep-seated political and historical disagreements persist. Turkey’s support for Azerbaijan during the 2020 war remains a source of tension, and the legacy of unresolved issues, including those linked to historical grievances, complicates efforts at reconciliation.

Source: Daily Sabah