Turkish and Armenian leaders reiterated their commitment to normalising relations during a phone call on Tuesday, discussing plans to deepen cooperation and advance a long-stalled rapprochement process.
In a conversation with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reaffirmed plans to begin direct bilateral trade as part of broader efforts to improve relations.
According to Türkiye's Communications Directorate, the two leaders also reviewed the current state of bilateral ties and discussed regional and international developments.
The phone call was the latest sign of momentum in a diplomatic push launched in 2021, when Türkiye and Armenia opened direct talks aimed at establishing diplomatic relations.
The two countries have never had formal diplomatic ties, and their shared border has remained closed since 1993, when Türkiye unilaterally shut it in solidarity with Azerbaijan during the First Garabagh War.
Since then, repeated attempts at Türkiye-Armenia reconciliation have failed to produce lasting results.
In 2009, Ankara and Yerevan signed the Zürich Protocols, which called for the establishment of diplomatic relations and the gradual reopening of the border.
The agreements, however, were never ratified, and the fledgling reconciliation process eventually stalled amid domestic and regional opposition.
Tuesday's phone call came only days before Armenia is due to hold a crucial parliamentary election.
Scheduled for 7 June, the vote is expected to serve as an important test of Pashinyan's domestic political standing and his policy of regional normalisation.
Improved ties with Türkiye and Azerbaijan are a key component of Pashinyan's broader strategy to reduce Armenia's regional isolation, strengthen its long-term security prospects and expand its commercial links.
According to analysts, the launch of direct Türkiye-Armenia trade would represent one of the most tangible achievements to date in the ongoing normalisation process.
Alongside creating new economic opportunities, they say, it would help build momentum towards the eventual establishment of full diplomatic relations between the two historic rivals.
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