Türkiye has taken a new technical step to facilitate direct trade with Armenia as part of the ongoing normalisation process between the two countries.
The Turkish customs system will now allow the use of Armenia’s official country code “077” in customs declarations for trade operations involving Armenia.
Previously, the application was limited to air cargo transportation. The latest update expands the system to include other forms of transport, including land, sea and rail routes.
According to Turkish media reports, the change follows an earlier technical arrangement introduced on 1 January 2023, when direct air cargo procedures between Türkiye and Armenia were enabled.
The Ministry of Trade’s General Directorate of Customs has reportedly instructed customs offices to update procedures accordingly.
The BİLGE (Computerised Customs Activities) system, Türkiye’s digital customs platform, has also been technically adjusted to support the new arrangement.
The ministry instructed customs authorities to ensure the necessary information is provided while handling the matter with “the required care due to its sensitivity”.
The Türkiye–Armenia land border has remained closed for more than three decades due to political tensions between the two countries.
Türkiye closed the border in 1993 during the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, citing security concerns and in support of Azerbaijan.
Since then, diplomatic relations between Ankara and Yerevan have remained limited, with disagreements over historical issues and regional security continuing to affect bilateral ties.
Although the two countries share a land border, regular cross-border trade and passenger movement have not resumed for decades.
Türkiye and Armenia began a new phase of dialogue in 2021, appointing special representatives to work on normalising relations.
The process has focused on restoring diplomatic contacts, reopening transport links and developing economic cooperation.
As part of these efforts, both sides agreed in 2022 to work towards reopening the land border for citizens of third countries and diplomatic passport holders. Later, technical preparations began for establishing direct trade channels.
Türkiye then completed bureaucratic preparations on 11 May 2026 to enable direct trade with Armenia, moving the process into a technical implementation phase.
The latest customs update allows goods transported from Türkiye through third countries to Armenia to identify their final destination or point of departure as “Armenia/Türkiye” in relevant customs documentation.
The introduction of Armenia’s country code into Türkiye’s customs system marks another technical step towards improving commercial links between the two neighbours.
While diplomatic normalisation talks continue, both sides have been gradually working on practical measures aimed at increasing trade and transport connectivity.
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