Turkey is considering opening its land border with Armenia within the next six months.
Modern.az reports that the "Bloomberg" agency has disseminated information on this matter, citing unnamed sources.
It is noted that this step will mean the elimination of the last closed border line remaining in Europe since the Cold War era and could change the trade and communication map in the South Caucasus.
According to informed sources, Ankara agrees to open the border only on one condition. Namely, the borders will be opened with the signing of a final peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also spoke about this in November. “Normalization is not possible without a peace agreement. If we restore relations with Armenia now, we would eliminate Yerevan's main reason for signing a peace treaty,” he noted.
"Bloomberg" writes that as Pashinyan heads into the elections to be held in June, a border announcement could give an additional advantage to his political rating. According to sources, if Pashinyan remains in power, the chance of formalizing peace with Ilham Aliyev will increase. After this, Turkey could also restore diplomatic relations by appointing an ambassador to Armenia.
Turkish and Armenian delegations conducted a joint inspection last week at the Akyaka–Akhurik border crossing. The goal is the restoration of the Kars–Gyumri railway. The laying of new rails could take approximately 5 months.
Turkish regional officials have also confirmed that new roads are being built for border protection.
According to "Bloomberg", as part of a trilateral agreement signed with the mediation of US President Donald Trump, the US has obtained the right to develop the strategically important TRIPP project (Zangezur corridor - ed.) in the region.
This line will connect Azerbaijan with Turkey via Armenia and will become a key part of the new East–West route extending from Beijing to London. The project is presented as a new format of the Zangezur corridor and will strengthen Turkey's role as a regional transit hub.
Pashinyan stated during his speech in parliament that the construction of this road will begin in the second half of 2026 and will follow the former Soviet route, as drawing an alternative line is not realistic.
Yerevan-based analyst Richard Giragosyan believes that the border opening could take place in early 2026. However, he also warns that Pashinyan should be cautious not to appear too close to the Erdoğan government on the eve of the elections.
