Latest news with #NikolPashinyan
LBCI
33 minutes ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Armenia says PM Pashinyan in Turkey on rare visit
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan arrived in Turkey on Friday for a rare visit, his office said, a trip described by Yerevan as a "historic" step for regional peace. "Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has arrived in Turkey on a working visit," his spokeswoman Nazeli Baghdasaryan said on Facebook, adding that he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later in the evening. AFP
Al Jazeera
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Armenian PM in Turkiye for ‘historic' visit aimed at normalising ties
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is on a rare visit to Istanbul to hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in what Yerevan has described as a 'historic' step towards regional peace. The visit forms part of the two countries' efforts to normalise ties strained over historical disputes and Ankara's alliance with Azerbaijan, which has been in a long-simmering conflict with Armenia. 'This is a historic visit, as it will be the first time a head of the Republic of Armenia visits Turkiye at this level. All regional issues will be discussed,' Armenian parliament speaker Alen Simonyan told reporters on Friday. 'The risks of war [with Azerbaijan] are currently minimal, and we must work to neutralise them. Pashinyan's visit to Turkiye is a step in that direction.' Pashinyan's visit comes a day after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held talks in Turkiye with Erdogan, during which he praised the Turkish-Azerbaijani alliance as 'a significant factor, not only regionally but also globally', and Erdogan reiterated his support for 'the establishment of peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia'. Baku and Yerevan agreed on the text of a peace deal in March, but Baku has since outlined a host of demands, including changes to Armenia's constitution, that it wants met before it will sign the document. Pashinyan is scheduled to meet Erdogan at Istanbul's Dolmabahce Palace at 15:00 GMT, Erdogan's office said. An Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs official told the AFP news agency that the pair will discuss efforts to sign a comprehensive peace treaty. The regional fallout from the Israel-Iran conflict, which began last Friday when Israel launched several waves of air strikes targeting Iran's nuclear facilities and military sites, will also be discussed. Armenia and Turkiye have never established formal diplomatic ties, and their shared border has been closed since 1993. Relations between the two nations have been historically strained over the World War I-era mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire – atrocities historians and Yerevan say amount to genocide. Turkiye rejects the label, contending that while many people died in that era, the death toll is inflated and the deaths resulted from civil unrest. Ankara has also backed its close ally, Turkic-speaking Azerbaijan, in the long-running Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia. This region, which had a mostly ethnic Armenian population at the time, broke away from Azerbaijan with support from Armenia in the late 1980s. In 2020, Turkiye backed Azerbaijan in its second war with Armenia, which ended after six weeks with a Russia-brokered peace deal that saw Azerbaijan gain control of a significant part of the region. Pashinyan has actively sought to normalise relations with both Baku and Ankara. Ankara and Yerevan appointed special envoys in late 2021 to lead a normalisation process, and resumed commercial flights in 2022 after a two-year pause. Earlier this year, Pashinyan announced Armenia would halt its campaign for international recognition of the 1915 mass killings of Armenians as genocide – a major concession to Turkiye that sparked widespread criticism at home. Pashinyan's first visit to Turkiye was to attend Erdogan's inauguration in 2023. This is Ankara and Yerevan's second attempt at reconciliation. Turkiye and Armenia reached an agreement in 2009 to establish formal relations and open their shared border, but the deal was never ratified because of strong opposition from Azerbaijan.
LeMonde
3 hours ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
Armenia PM arrives in Turkey for 'historic' visit in bid to mend ties
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan arrived in Istanbul on Friday, June 20, for a rare visit to arch-foe Turkey, in what Yerevan has described as a "historic" step toward regional peace. Armenia and Turkey have never established formal diplomatic ties, and their shared border has been closed since the 1990s. "Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has arrived in Turkey on a working visit," his spokesperson Nazeli Baghdasaryan wrote on Facebook. The visit follows an invitation from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom Pashinyan is scheduled to meet at Istanbul's Dolmabahce Palace in the afternoon, Erdogan's office said. Relations between the two nations have been historically strained over the Armenian genocide, a label Ankara rejects. Ankara has also backed its close ally, Turkic-speaking Azerbaijan, in its long-running conflict with Armenia. Relations between the two nations have been historically strained over the genocide perpetrated against Armenians in the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923 – a step in that direction." An Armenian foreign ministry official told Agence France-Presse the pair will discuss efforts to sign a comprehensive peace treaty as well as the regional fallout from the Iran-Israel conflict. On Thursday, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was in Turkey for talks with Erdogan and praised the Turkish-Azerbaijani alliance as "a significant factor, not only regionally but also globally." Erdogan repeated his backing for "the establishment of peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia." Baku and Yerevan agreed on the text of a peace deal in March, but Baku has since outlined a host of demands − including changes to Armenia's constitution − before it will sign the document.
4 hours ago
- Politics
Armenian prime minister to meet Erdogan in rare visit to Turkey aimed at mending ties
ISTANBUL -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is scheduled to hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday as part of the two countries' efforts to normalize ties that were strained over historic disputes and Turkey's alliance with Azerbaijan. The talks between the two countries, which have no formal diplomatic ties, were expected to center on the possible reopening of their joint border as well as the war between Israel and Iran. Turkey, a close ally of Azerbaijan, shut down its border with Armenia in 1993 in a show of solidarity with Baku, which was locked in a conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. In 2020, Turkey strongly backed Azerbaijan in the six-week conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, which ended with a Russia-brokered peace deal that saw Azerbaijan gain control of a significant part of the region. Turkey and Armenia also have a more than century-old dispute over the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians in massacres, deportations and forced marches that began in 1915 in Ottoman Turkey. Historians widely view the event as genocide. Turkey vehemently rejects the label, conceding that many died in that era but insisting that the death toll is inflated and the deaths resulted from civil unrest. The rare visit by an Armenian leader comes after Ankara and Yerevan agreed in 2021 to launch efforts toward normalizing ties and appointed special representatives to lead talks. Pashinyan previously visited Turkey in 2023 when he attended a presidential inauguration ceremony following an election victory by Erdogan. The two have also held talks on the sideline of a meeting in Prague in 2022. It is Ankara and Yerevan's second attempt at reconciliation. Turkey and Armenia reached an agreement in 2009 to establish formal relations and to open their border, but the deal was never ratified because of strong opposition from Azerbaijan.
Nahar Net
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Armenian PM to meet Erdogan in rare visit to Turkey aimed at mending ties
by Naharnet Newsdesk 20 June 2025, 13:56 Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is scheduled to hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday as part of the two countries' efforts to normalize ties that were strained over historic disputes and Turkey's alliance with Azerbaijan. The talks between the two countries, which have no formal diplomatic ties, were expected to center on the possible reopening of their joint border as well as the war between Israel and Iran. Turkey, a close ally of Azerbaijan, shut down its border with Armenia in 1993 in a show of solidarity with Baku, which was locked in a conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. In 2020, Turkey strongly backed Azerbaijan in the six-week conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, which ended with a Russia-brokered peace deal that saw Azerbaijan gain control of a significant part of the region. Turkey and Armenia also have a more than century-old dispute over the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians in massacres, deportations and forced marches that began in 1915 in Ottoman Turkey. Historians widely view the event as genocide. Turkey vehemently rejects the label, conceding that many died in that era but insisting that the death toll is inflated and the deaths resulted from civil unrest. The rare visit by an Armenian leader comes after Ankara and Yerevan agreed in 2021 to launch efforts toward normalizing ties and appointed special representatives to lead talks. Pashinyan previously visited Turkey in 2023 when he attended a presidential inauguration ceremony following an election victory by Erdogan. The two have also held talks on the sideline of a meeting in Prague in 2022. It is Ankara and Yerevan's second attempt at reconciliation. Turkey and Armenia reached an agreement in 2009 to establish formal relations and to open their border, but the deal was never ratified because of strong opposition from Azerbaijan.
