Turkish, Armenian officials to meet in Moscow amid normalization

The first meeting between the Special Representatives of Turkey and Armenia will be held in Moscow on 14 January 2022,” a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed late Wednesday.

Previously, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu announced the upcoming meeting.

Noting that the two sides have appointed special representatives, the top diplomat said Ankara wants to have direct contact with Yerevan before the official meeting.

“A road map outlining which steps need to be taken to normalize relations needs to be determined by getting in direct contact, including bilateral visits,” Çavuşoğlu said.

Çavuşoğlu underlined that Turkey is coordinating with Azerbaijan regarding steps to be taken with Armenia and said: “I hope Armenia continues on this line. Armenia’s messages are positive, but we want to see actions. We can take trilateral steps.”

“Both Azerbaijan and Turkey may open their borders with Armenia if we reach the point we want,” he added, saying that such a decision would be made in cooperation with Baku.

Following years of frozen ties, the neighboring countries of Turkey and Armenia have announced they seek to normalize relations amid efforts for regional integration and cooperation in the South Caucasus.

Representatives from both countries said that steps toward normalization are being taken and that charter flights between the two countries would soon resume, as Armenia said that it would lift embargo on Turkish goods from January.

On Dec. 15, Turkey appointed Serdar Kılıç, a former ambassador to the U.S., as its special envoy to discuss steps for normalization with Armenia. Three days later, Armenia appointed its special representative for dialogue with Turkey, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Ruben Rubinyan.

The borders between the two countries have been closed for decades and diplomatic relations have been on hold.

Armenia and Turkey signed a landmark peace accord in 2009 to restore ties and open their shared border after decades, but the deal was never ratified and ties have remained tense.

Relations between Armenia and Turkey have historically been complicated. Turkey’s position on the events of 1915 is that Armenians lost their lives in eastern Anatolia after some sided with the invading Russians and revolted against the Ottoman forces. The subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in heavy casualties, as massacres carried out by militaries and militia groups from both sides increased the death toll.

Turkey objects to the presentation of the incidents as “genocide” but describes the 1915 events as a tragedy in which both sides suffered casualties.

Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission consisting of historians from Turkey and Armenia and international experts to tackle the issue.

During the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Ankara supported Baku and accused Yerevan of occupying Azerbaijan’s territories.