Turkish VP’s Yerevan trip a ‘turning point’ in normalization

A senior Turkish diplomat has described Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz’s recent visit to the Armenian capital as a decisive moment in efforts to mend long-frozen relations between Türkiye and Armenia. Speaking at the “Yerevan Dialogue 2026” conference, Türkiye’s special envoy for normalization, Serdar Kilic, stressed that the trip—the first of its kind in years—signaled a new phase of high-level engagement and practical cooperation.

Deepening ties through joint restoration

Kilic noted that Yilmaz held constructive talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and witnessed the signing of a protocol to jointly restore the Ani Bridge, a medieval structure along the ancient Silk Road that straddles both countries. “Even that alone shows how far Türkiye-Armenia relations have come,” Kilic told Turkish journalists, adding that the warm reception in Yerevan marked a true turning point. He recalled that Armenian officials, including Pashinyan and parliament speaker Alen Simonyan, have also made multiple visits to Türkiye in recent months.

From railway revival to people-to-people links

The normalization process, formally launched in January 2022, has gained unexpected speed, according to Kilic. He described his working relationship with Armenian counterpart Ruben Rubinyan as “like brothers,” saying neither would have believed such progress possible just four years ago. Beyond diplomacy, concrete steps include the planned restoration of the Kars-Gyumri railway line and the foundation laid for the Dilucu rail link, both aimed at boosting cross-border contact. Turkish Airlines began daily flights to Yerevan on March 11 and will increase to two daily services from May 15, while Pegasus Airlines also operates on the route. Reciprocal student scholarships and visa facilitation for diplomatic passport holders have further eased people-to-people exchanges.

Border opening within reach

Kilic confirmed that preparations for reopening the Türkiye-Armenia border are at an advanced stage, though technical and bureaucratic work—such as installing fiber optic cables and deploying customs personnel—must be finalized first. “You cannot simply say ‘we opened the border tomorrow’ and allow people to cross immediately,” he cautioned. Reflecting on a shift in public attitudes since his September 2025 visit to Yerevan, Kilic observed that “people have started to embrace this process much more,” adding that all his proposals are now shaped by how to improve the daily lives of ordinary Armenians while advancing full normalization.