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Türkiye welcomed Armenia's parliamentary election result on Monday, urging Yerevan to take "bolder steps" towards regional peace and diplomatic normalisation.
In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry welcomed the peaceful conduct of the 7 June poll, which, according to preliminary results, was won by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract party.
"We welcome that the parliamentary elections … were concluded in a calm and peaceful atmosphere," the ministry said.
It also expressed Ankara's hope that Armenia would take "bolder steps" towards achieving regional peace and normalised relations with its neighbours in the post-election period.
According to Armenia's Central Election Commission, Pashinyan's party secured 49.82 per cent of the vote, while the opposition Strong Armenia party received 23.28 per cent.
In a related development, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said on Monday that he believed full diplomatic normalisation between Armenia and Türkiye could be achieved in the near future.
"I believe we will achieve full normalisation with Türkiye in the near future," Mirzoyan said, expressing optimism about the current trajectory of bilateral relations.
His remarks reflected growing expectations that Pashinyan's electoral victory will provide fresh momentum for the ongoing Türkiye-Armenia normalisation process after decades of strained relations.
Türkiye and Armenia have never established formal diplomatic relations.
Their shared border has remained closed since 1993, when Ankara shut it in solidarity with Azerbaijan during the first Nagorno-Garabagh War.
Efforts to establish official ties gained momentum in late 2021, when the two sides appointed special envoys and launched direct negotiations.
Since then, the countries have restored commercial charter flights and agreed in principle to open the border to third-country nationals and holders of diplomatic passports.
Progress in the Türkiye-Armenia normalisation process, however, remains closely linked to relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Ankara has repeatedly stated that broader normalisation would be facilitated by a comprehensive peace agreement between Yerevan and Baku.
Pashinyan, for his part, has made regional normalisation a central pillar of his foreign policy agenda, arguing that improved relations with neighbouring countries are vital for Armenia's security and long-term economic development.
According to analysts, this week's election result is likely to strengthen his mandate to pursue those objectives and advance efforts towards a more stable South Caucasus.
At least 11 people were killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday, among the deadliest since a June ceasefire. Meanwhile, Qatar denied holding Iranian pilots. It said it had found the remains of one pilot after an airspace violation and had contacted Iran to coordinate a handover.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington is not seeking an extension of its memorandum of understanding with Iran, claiming the U.S. already controls the Strait of Hormuz through its naval blockade.
South Korea's presidential Blue House said on Monday it was reviewing U.S. President Donald Trump's comments on scaling back joint military drills. It added that it hoped a favourable relationship between Washington and Pyongyang could lead to meaningful talks.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Residents of villages in eastern Indonesia hit by a deadly earthquake that killed at least 54 people were awaiting aid on Monday as rescuers prepared to comb through collapsed buildings in search of people trapped beneath the rubble.
Uzbekistan is putting renewable energy, water security, waste management and climate-resilient cities at the centre of its growth strategy as it seeks to modernise infrastructure and attract green investment.
A power disturbance that swept across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on 14 August has highlighted both the benefits and vulnerabilities of Central Asia’s interconnected electricity grid.
Iran says it will use all diplomatic and legal channels to determine the fate of three Air Force pilots it believes are being held in Qatar after their fighter jets were downed during the March war.
Kazakhstan has launched a unified digital platform to track coal supplies in real time, giving officials a clearer view of production, shipments, stocks and prices ahead of the heating season.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to end the war in Gaza returned to the diplomatic arena on Sunday (16 August), as his envoys met Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators in Cairo while Israeli strikes continued across the strip.
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