In a significant diplomatic development, Turkey has eliminated several customs barriers with Armenia, creating opportunities for indirect commercial exchange between the two nations after more than three decades of tense relations.
While Turkey was among the initial nations to acknowledge Armenia’s independence when it broke away from the Soviet Union in 1991, relations soured quickly. Turkey sealed its border with Armenia and suspended all direct commerce in 1993 to support Azerbaijan, its close ally, during the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.
The countries have maintained no official diplomatic ties since that time, with their relationship complicated by deep historical animosity rooted in the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman military forces during World War One – events Armenia and numerous other nations classify as genocide.
According to Wednesday’s announcement from Turkey’s Foreign Ministry, the updated trade rules now permit merchandise traveling from Turkey through a third nation to Armenia, or in the opposite direction, to be officially labeled with either “Armenia” or “Turkey” as the final destination or origin point.
Armenia’s economy, which represents only a small portion of Turkey’s economic size and relies heavily on energy imports from Russia and Iran, responded positively to the development.
“This decision is significant for expanding trade and business ties between the two countries, promoting economic connectivity in the region, and ensuring peace and prosperity,” stated Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan, as reported by the Armenpress state news agency.
Currently, both Yerevan and Ankara are engaged in discussions about reopening their 311-kilometer (193-mile) shared border.
Turkey has expressed willingness to reopen this eastern boundary, but only under the condition that Armenia finalizes a peace agreement with Azerbaijan, a nation sharing cultural and linguistic connections with Turkey. Armenia has also shown interest in border reopening.
Last August, Armenia and Azerbaijan reached a peace framework brokered by the United States to end nearly four decades of hostilities, though they have not yet formalized a comprehensive peace treaty.
A complete peace agreement could dramatically reshape the South Caucasus region, an energy-rich area bordering Russia, Europe, and Iran that serves as a corridor for oil and gas pipelines but remains divided by closed borders and persistent ethnic disputes.
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli confirmed Wednesday that efforts to reopen border crossings between the two countries remain ongoing.
Earlier this month, both nations signed an agreement to restore the historic Ani Bridge, a 10th-century structure that crosses a river along their mutual frontier.
