Türkiye’s Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz is set to visit Armenia in early May to take part in the 8th European Political Community Summit, in what will be the highest-level Turkish visit to the country to date. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is reportedly expected to miss the forum.
Yılmaz will represent Türkiye at the gathering in Yerevan on 4 May, where leaders are expected to discuss regional developments and wider global challenges under the theme "Building the Future: Unity and Stability in Europe".
The trip is set to be the first visit from Türkiye to Armenia at vice-presidential level, in what is likely to be viewed as a notable diplomatic moment between the two neighbours.
Türkiye and Armenia have taken cautious steps towards normalising ties in recent years after decades of closed borders and strained relations. According to Turkish officials, summit participants will consider ways to strengthen democratic resilience, improve connectivity, and deepen cooperation on economic and energy security.
A German government spokeswoman said Chancellor Friedrich Merz would not attend due to “other obligations”, according to German Press Agency, DPA.
Merz has attended two of the EPC’s eight summits to date, including meetings in Albania and Denmark last year.
His predecessor Olaf Scholz participated in five gatherings.
The EPC, established in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was launched as an informal platform to promote political dialogue and greater coordination across Europe and neighbouring countries. It was initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron, with its inaugural summit held in Prague.
The upcoming summit in Armenia will continue discussions among participating leaders on regional security and cooperation, though without formal conclusions or binding agreements.
Leaders and heads of government from the 27 European Union member states, along with other European countries and Canada, have been invited to attend the summit.
The next meeting of the European Political Community is planned to take place in Ireland in November.
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