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Türkiye does not pose a threat to Armenia's national security, the secretary of Armenia's Security Council said Thursday, an assessment that comes as the future of a Russian military base in the country hangs in the balance.
Alen Simonian, a close political ally of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, told reporters he sees no danger to Armenian sovereignty from Türkiye, tying that assessment to last year's peace framework with Azerbaijan.
"I do not see a threat to the sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia from Turkey. Starting from August 8, 2025, I do not see any such threat whatsoever," Simonian said, referring to the initialing of an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace accord on that date.
Simonian's remarks came as he addressed the uncertain future of Russia's military base in Gyumri, Armenia's second-largest city, amid a broader cooling of relations between Yerevan and Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the possibility of closing the base after talks with Pashinian on September 1, saying Moscow was prepared to withdraw its forces "even tomorrow" if asked to do so by the Armenian government.
Pashinian did not make such a request but said he "will not object" if Russia chooses to withdraw its troops. He reiterated on September 17 that the Russian military presence is not of "vital importance" to Armenia.
Simonian echoed the prime minister's position on Thursday but declined to explain why the Armenian government has stopped short of formally requesting a Russian withdrawal.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said last week that Moscow intends to abide by a 2010 bilateral agreement that extended Russia's basing rights in Armenia by 25 years, through 2044.
Pashinian and his allies have argued that Russian troops failed to intervene when Azerbaijani forces moved into Armenian border areas in 2021 and 2022, a grievance that has fed into Yerevan's broader reassessment of its security relationship with Moscow. Armenia and Russia have been formal military allies through the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization, though Yerevan has increasingly distanced itself from the bloc in recent years.
Armenian opposition figures have pushed back sharply, arguing that the Russian base serves primarily as a deterrent against Türkiye, which is Azerbaijan's closest ally.
Samvel Karapetian, a Russian-Armenian billionaire who leads the opposition Strong Armenia alliance, told 24news.am on Thursday that a Russian withdrawal would leave Armenia defenseless against what he called its biggest and most powerful traditional foe. He described the Russian military presence as a central "component of our national security system."
Other opposition leaders have gone further, claiming Pashinian's position on the issue amounts to placing Armenia's existence at the mercy of Türkiye and Azerbaijan.
Russia has maintained a military presence in Gyumri since the Soviet era, and the base has long been framed by successive Armenian governments as a counterweight to regional threats, including from Türkiye, with which Armenia has no formal diplomatic relations and a border that has remained closed for more than three decades.
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