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Türkiye and Armenia have agreed to mutually facilitate visa procedures for holders of diplomatic, service and special passports, Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry said Monday, marking another step in the ongoing normalization process between the two neighbors.
Starting Thursday, Jan. 1, eligible passport holders from both countries will be able to obtain free electronic visas, the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry added that Ankara and Yerevan reaffirmed their commitment to continue the normalization process unconditionally, with the aim of achieving full normalization of relations.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan welcomed recent remarks by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on advancing normalization between the two countries.
“Within the framework of our bilateral dialogue, the time has come for symbolic—and even non-symbolic, broader, and more concrete—steps to take place, and I hope that they will happen,” Pashinyan said at a press briefing, according to Armenian state news agency Armenpress.
Erdogan said earlier this month that Türkiye would take “some symbolic steps” beginning in early 2026 as part of the normalization process with Armenia.
“Azerbaijan and Armenia are closer than ever to signing a peace agreement. Parallel to this process, and in dialogue with Azerbaijan, we are also advancing our normalization processes with Armenia,” Erdogan said on Dec. 16.
Commenting on the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process, Pashinyan said Yerevan welcomed Baku’s decision to lift restrictions on the transit of goods to Armenia, adding that it would be unreasonable not to acknowledge the development.
He said Armenia hopes steps will be taken soon to promote bilateral trade, including Armenian exports to Azerbaijan.
Pashinyan also said Armenia and the United States are preparing a document outlining the strategic framework of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project.
“Both sides will need to approve it in some format, after which the next step will begin,” he said.
The Armenian prime minister said tangible work on the TRIPP project is expected to begin in the second half of 2026, with railway construction likely to be the first phase.
“The process is fluid, and it may become clear that, due to specific circumstances, the need for a gas or oil pipeline is more urgent,” he said. “At this point, however, we believe that the railway is the priority.”
At a trilateral summit held at the White House in August, Armenia and Azerbaijan, alongside US President Donald Trump, signed a declaration pledging to end decades of conflict, reopen transportation routes and normalize relations.
Türkiye closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in support of Azerbaijan during the Karabakh conflict. The two countries have no formal diplomatic relations, though normalization talks have gained momentum in recent years following regional developments. In 2021, both sides appointed special envoys to advance normalization efforts. A year later, Türkiye and Armenia resumed commercial flights after a two-year pause.
In June, Pashinyan visited Türkiye, a move described by Yerevan as historic, further signaling a cautious thaw in long-frozen ties.
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