Although they are two neighboring countries;
The relations between Turkey and Armenia were overshadowed by a rupture over the past decades, before the two countries headed for rapprochement in the past few days and appointed each of them a special representative to normalize with the other.
Turkey was one of the first countries to recognize Armenia's independence from the Soviet Union in September 1991, but the estrangement dominated the relations of the two parties due to Yerevan's allegations that the Armenians had been exterminated at the hands of the Ottoman forces in 1915.
The dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region also played a role in worsening relations between the two sides, as Turkey stood by Azerbaijan and provided it with military support that was decisive in restoring lands that were under the control of Armenia.
The following are highlights of the relations between the two sides:
Announcement of estrangement
Following Armenia's occupation of the Azerbaijani region of Kelbajar, Ankara announced in 1993 the severance of direct trade relations with Yerevan, in addition to closing border crossings and cutting land, rail and air transport lines.
After the Justice and Development Party came to power in Turkey, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2005 sent a letter to the Armenian President - at the time - Robert Kocharian, proposing him to form a committee of historians of the two countries to investigate the details of the events of 1915 (allegations of the Armenian genocide). and present its findings to the public.
Kocharian met Erdogan's proposal to normalize relations between the two countries and launch a high-level political dialogue, instead of establishing the mentioned committee.
A memorable visit
By 2008, former Turkish President Abdullah Gul sent a congratulatory message to his counterpart Serzh Sargsyan after winning the Armenian presidency, and then the latter invited Gul to visit his country, to follow a match between the two countries' teams.
In September 2008, President Abdullah Gul visited Yerevan, thus becoming the first Turkish president to visit Armenia since its independence.
Sargsyan also visited Turkey the following year, in response to the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul, to attend the return match between the two countries' teams.
Diplomatic meetings between officials of the two countries continued with a meeting that took place in the American capital, Washington, between then-Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan and Sargsyan in April 2010, on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit.
Protocol to normalize relations
In the context of improving their relations, Turkey and Armenia concluded in October 2009 a protocol to establish diplomatic relations between them in the Swiss city of Zurich.
This protocol was criticized and condemned by the church and nationalist parties in Armenia.
The protocol stipulated the development of relations between the two countries and the preparation of a map for this, in addition to the two sides' respect for the borders, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the other party.
It also stipulated the opening of border crossings between the two countries, two months after its entry into force, as well as the cooperation of the two governments in the fields of education, culture, knowledge and consular services.
Although the two countries also agreed to open diplomatic representations mutually within the framework of the same protocol;
None of its provisions have been implemented due to Armenia suspending its ratification process in April 2010.
In February 2015, President Sargsyan withdrew the aforementioned protocol from his country's parliament.
Azerbaijan victory and a new station
On September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan launched a military operation in the Karabakh region, in response to what it called Armenian attacks against civilians.
Within 44 days, the Azerbaijani army was able to recover large areas in the Karabakh region, while an agreement was later reached to withdraw the Armenian forces from the Aghdam, Kalbajar and Lachin regions in the region.
From the first day of the start of the Nagorno-Karabakh battles, Turkey affirmed its support for Azerbaijan in recovering its "occupied" lands from Armenia.
After the end of the Karabakh battles with Azerbaijan's victory over Armenia, Turkish-Armenian relations witnessed a trend towards calm and then rapprochement, and this was embodied in Erdogan's statements, who indicated the possibility of opening a new page in relations between Ankara and Yerevan.
Erdogan offers peace
In a speech to members of the Azerbaijani parliament in the capital, Baku, in June 2021, the Turkish president said that stability and peace in the Caucasus would not only benefit Azerbaijan;
Rather, on Armenia, the countries of the region and the world at large.
In another speech to him on August 25, 2021, Erdogan said that there is a new opportunity to achieve lasting peace in the region, after the liberation of the Karabakh region, indicating that Turkey will take the necessary steps if Armenia seizes this opportunity.
In turn, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan welcomed Erdogan's statements in September 2021, indicating that his country is ready to consult with Turkey on the normalization of relations and the reopening of land roads and railways between the two countries.
Begin to normalize relations
In December 2021, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced the appointment of his country as a special representative to Armenia, pointing out that the relations of the two countries had entered a new stage.
On the other hand, Armenia announced during the same month the appointment of the deputy speaker of parliament as its special representative to Turkey.
Yerevan followed this step by announcing the lifting of the ban on importing Turkish goods, which it imposed in December 2020, due to Ankara's support for Azerbaijan in the Karabakh battles.
Finally, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the first meeting between Turkish and Armenian special representatives will be held on January 14, in the Russian capital, Moscow.