Yerevan says Azerbaijan hindering normalisation with Turkey

Armenian Parliamentary Speaker Alen Simonyan has said that the continued closure of the Armenia–Turkey land border has been influenced by Azerbaijan ‘through its lobbying and influence’ in Turkey.

Speaking to Armenian media in Istanbul on the sidelines of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting, Simonyan claimed that Azerbaijan was preventing Turkey from negotiating with Armenia.

‘On the one hand, [Azerbaijan] is negotiating with us, and on the other hand, it is not allowing Turkey to negotiate with us. This is a strange situation. Turkey seems to be a prisoner of these relations’, Simonyan said, according to Agos.

Asked if Ankara was waiting for the outcome of Armenia’s June parliamentary election before going into deeper talks with Yerevan, Simonyan said that he was unsure.

‘Initially, it was said that the border would not be opened until the Nagorno-Karabakh issue was resolved. Then they declared that the Karabakh issue was resolved. Then they brought up the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace agreement. We negotiated the agreement; it was a difficult and lengthy process, but we agreed on 17 points, met to initial it, shook hands, and it still didn’t work out’, Simonyan said.

Armenia and Azerbaijan initialled the peace deal in Washington in August 2025 after agreeing on the text in March of that year. It remains unsigned, with Azerbaijan pushing for amendments to the Armenian Constitution, claiming it contained territorial claims against it.

Although Armenia has officially expressed its intention to change the constitution, it insists that it would not be doing so based on Azerbaijan’s demands. Yerevan declared its intention to hold a referendum on a new constitution after the parliamentary elections.

‘When I speak with my Turkish colleagues, I realise that they don’t have much to say either; there are no discussions’, Simonyan said.

He further expressed belief that ‘in the near future we will see the border opened and diplomatic relations established’. Simonyan also added that ‘everything has been done on both sides’.

This year, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Special Envoy Ruben Rubinyan sat out the Antalya Diplomacy Forum taking place 17–19 April, in which they have participated since 2022. Instead, Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan attended the forum.

The Foreign Ministry has declined to comment on the decision to send a lower level delegation. In the scope of the forum, previously, the normalisation process was discussed between Armenia and Turkey.

‘We made this diplomatic decision’, Simonyan commented on Mirzoyan and Rubinyan’s absence, according to Agos.

According to Nor Marmara, Simonathan further added that the ball was in the court of Turkey and that the Armenian side had nothing to add, and instead expected ‘clear steps’ from Turkey.

Earlier, in his speech at the IPU, Simonyan stated that ‘peace has prevailed in our region, marking a truly monumental achievement’, and added that Armenia’s vision ‘is grander’ and included inviting Turkey to take part in regional peace efforts.

‘To this end, we are eager to deepen our relationship with Türkiye’, Simonyan said.

Armenia and Turkey have been engaged in a renewed normalisation process since 2022, including meetings of special envoys on normalisation at their shared border and in their respective capitals. However, diplomatic relations have not yet been established, and the land border remains closed.

In 2022, the sides agreed to allow third-country nationals and diplomats to cross the land border, but Turkey has since stated that progress in the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace process is a precondition for further achievements in the normalisation process with Armenia. Turkey originally closed the border in 1993 during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.

The latest developments came in December 2025, when Armenia and Turkey announced they would ‘simplify’ the visa procedure for diplomatic, special, and service passport holders as of 1 January 2026.