One of the diplomatic processes that has attracted attention in the South Caucasus in recent months was the visit of Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz to Yerevan. The visit, which took place within the framework of the European Political Community Summit, is considered the beginning of a new stage in Turkey-Armenia relations.
During the visit, Cevdet Yılmaz held meetings with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and other high-ranking officials. The parties exchanged views on regional stability, opening of communication lines, economic cooperation and the normalization process.
One of the most notable results of the Yerevan meetings was related to the Ani bridge. Representatives of Turkey and Armenia signed a memorandum on the joint restoration of the historical Ani bridge.
Commenting on the visit of Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz to Yerevan and the agreements reached there to Modern.az, Şamil Ayrım, a deputy from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) and chairman of the Turkey-Azerbaijan Friendship Group, stated that recent events show that the normalization process, which has been going on in a controlled and cautious manner for many years in Turkey-Armenia relations, has now entered a new stage:
"In particular, the meetings held by Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and other Armenian officials within the framework of the European Political Community Summit in Yerevan, as well as the technical and symbolic steps taken regarding the Ani bridge, are evaluated not only as a gesture of diplomatic courtesy, but also as a will to 'make communication channels permanent'.
However, there is an important point here: Ankara's approach is not a model of "normalization independent of Azerbaijan". On the contrary, the process is carried out in coordination with Baku. For Turkey, the issue is not only the opening of the Turkey-Armenia border, but also the formation of a sustainable stability environment in the South Caucasus. For this reason, Ankara pays special attention not to pursue a policy that does not take into account the sensitivity of President Ilham Aliyev's government, especially in the context of the new geopolitical reality that emerged after the Second Karabakh War.
One of the main theses of Turkish diplomacy in recent years is as follows: "The normalization process between Turkey and Armenia cannot be considered separately from the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Ankara emphasizes that it intends to continue its policy towards accelerating normalization in the region, expanding economic cooperation and strengthening contacts between peoples."
Ş. Ayrım emphasized that the interests of official Baku are especially taken into account in several main directions:
"These directions include issues such as the Zangazur corridor and the opening of regional transport lines, mutual recognition of borders and territorial integrity, signing of a peace agreement, the issue of Western Azerbaijan and the rights of deported persons, and the establishment of a sustainable security architecture in the region. The development of relations with the Organization of Turkic States and the Turkic world in general on stronger foundations within the framework of the "Our family is the Turkic world" approach is also a key nuance."
The Turkish deputy commented on the agreement between Turkey and Armenia to jointly build the Ani bridge as follows:
"The issue of the Ani bridge attracts special attention from a symbolic point of view. Because this bridge is not only a physical crossing point, but also means re-discussing historical memory, ancient trade routes and psychological barriers. In the Caucasus, sometimes a bridge can carry a greater political meaning than a diplomatic statement. As for the Russian and Iranian aspects of the issue, it is clear that there are broader geopolitical balance calculations here."
The Turkish deputy also touched upon the interests of Russia and Iran in the processes.
"The South Caucasus has been shaped under Russia's security influence for many years. However, after the Russia-Ukraine war, the partial weakening of Moscow's capabilities in the region created new political vacuums. Turkey, Europe and to some extent the United States are trying to increase their diplomatic influence in the region. Iran, on the other hand, closely monitors the discussions regarding the Zangazur corridor, especially from the point of view of its north-south strategic line. Because new transport routes that may be formed in the region can directly affect Iran's transit importance. For this reason, Tehran carefully observes the excessive strengthening of the Turkey-Azerbaijan tandem in the region and gives harsh messages from time to time. Nevertheless, Ankara's current policy does not aim to directly exclude Russia and Iran from the region. As repeatedly emphasized after the Second Karabakh War, Turkey states that it is in favor of solving the problems in the region by the countries of the region. Ankara's main goal is to transform the geopolitical system in the region from a single-centered model into a multi-actor cooperation platform. Within this framework, Turkey positions itself as a NATO member, one of the main political actors of the Turkic world, a key center of energy and logistics routes, a power with regional dialogue opportunities, and a state that wants the Turkic world to become even stronger."
Şamil Ayrım noted that at the center of all these processes is still Baku-Ankara coordination.
"Because for Turkey, strategic alignment with Azerbaijan is not just a matter of tactical diplomatic gain. The principle of "one nation, two states" has already become not just an expression of emotional brotherhood, but a concrete geopolitical model in the plane of energy security, transport, defense and regional diplomacy. In short, Turkey wants to pursue a controlled normalization policy with Armenia, but does not consider it right to implement this without taking into account Azerbaijan's security and political sensitivities. Currently, all parties in the Caucasus are simultaneously opening doors and playing political chess. Frankly, this is the character of the region."
It should be noted that the Turkey-Armenia border was closed in 1993 after Armenia occupied Azerbaijani lands and the occupation of Kalbajar. Since then, diplomatic relations between the two countries have remained virtually frozen. The Ani bridge, on the other hand, has historically been considered one of the important crossing and trade points between Anatolia and the South Caucasus.
