Türkiye has removed a restriction on direct trade with Armenia in what officials describe as another step toward improving ties between the neighboring countries.
Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Öncü Keçeli said shipments transported through third countries will now be allowed to list Türkiye or Armenia as their final destination or point of origin, ending a previous restriction.
“In the light of the historic opportunity seized to strengthen lasting peace and prosperity in the South Caucasus, Türkiye will continue to contribute to the development of economic relations in the region,” Keçeli stated.
Armenia welcomed the decision. Armenian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ani Badalyan said the move was “an important step” toward fully normalized relations, including the possible opening of the Armenia-Türkiye border and the establishment of diplomatic ties.
Türkiye and Armenia have no formal diplomatic relations, and their shared border has remained closed since the 1990s.
Relations between the two countries have long been strained over historical disputes and Türkiye’s close alliance with Azerbaijan.
Ankara closed the border with Armenia in 1993 in support of Azerbaijan during the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.
The countries launched a normalization process in late 2021 and appointed special envoys to discuss reopening the border and restoring ties. Since then, direct flights between Türkiye and Armenia have resumed and some visa restrictions have been eased.
Keçeli said technical and bureaucratic work linked to opening the border is ongoing.
Türkiye and Armenia also remain divided over the mass killings and deportations of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire beginning in 1915. Many historians and countries recognize the events as genocide, while Türkiye rejects the term and disputes the scale and characterization of the deaths.
