Turkish Press: Turkey, Armenia launch joint effort to revive Kars-Gyumri railw

Turkish and Armenian officials met in the eastern Turkish city of Kars on Tuesday to establish a joint working group aimed at reopening the long-idle Kars-Gyumri railway, marking a new step in efforts to restore ties between the two countries.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said the meeting focused on restoring the railway’s operational capacity as part of the ongoing process of normalization between Ankara and Yerevan.

The Kars-Gyumri line, once a key trade and transit route, has been inactive since 1993, when the last train crossed the border during tensions over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Officials from both sides said reopening the railway would improve regional connectivity and support economic cooperation.

In a post on X, US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack called the move “an important milestone for regional connectivity and peace.”

He also linked the development to recent diplomatic initiatives backed by Washington.

Armenian outlets also reported that the meeting followed earlier technical talks on reopening transport links between the two countries.

Turkey and Armenia have no formal diplomatic relations, and their land border has been closed since 1993, when Ankara closed it in support of Azerbaijan during the first Nagorno-Karabakh war.

The two countries have made several attempts to normalize relations, including a failed initiative in 2009 and a renewed process launched in 2022 involving special envoys.

As part of recent steps, the sides agreed to allow third-country nationals and diplomats to cross the land border and to ease visa procedures for official passport holders.

Despite these efforts, the border remains closed, with progress closely tied to developments in talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan.