Fidan Says Turkey Is Ready for Normalization With Armenia Under the Right Conditions

ANKARA — Turkey is ready to normalize relations with Armenia under the necessary conditions, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, adding that the steps needed in the new period are clear.

Fidan made the remarks on June 18 during a conversation with Turkish journalists, summarizing the results of his visit to Moscow. Fidan paid a working visit to Russia on June 16-17, where he met with a number of senior officials, including his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. The discussions also touched on issues related to the South Caucasus.

Referring to the normalization process with Armenia, the Turkish foreign minister highlighted the steps taken by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. He noted that, in response, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had taken steps in the areas of trade liberalization and air communication.

Earlier, on June 8, the Turkish Foreign Ministry welcomed the parliamentary elections held in Armenia and said it expected “bold” steps from Armenia toward resolving regional issues and advancing peace.

On the same day, during a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani and Georgian counterparts, Fidan linked the Armenia-Turkey normalization process to the Armenia-Azerbaijan settlement process. He expressed hope that once Azerbaijan’s legitimate concerns are addressed, a peace treaty will be signed between Yerevan and Baku.