Azernews.Az

Elnur Enveroglu

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The opening of the Turkiye-Armenia border on March 21, with the announcement that it would remain open until March 31—until trucks return on the same route—sparked a somewhat broad discussion in Azerbaijan. However, the issue turned out to be not as simple as it seemed at first glance. Ankara has maintained its borders closed to Yerevan for 32 years, primarily due to both the occupation of Garabagh and Armenia's territorial claims against Turkiye. Since 1993, the border gates have been opened only a few times, and even then, solely for humanitarian purposes, with no economic interests at play.

Armenia, seeking to provide humanitarian aid to Syria, has knocked on Turkey's door, attempting to engage within a short timeframe in regional interests. Perhaps Armenia is considering the Armenians living in Syria, but overall, its actions regarding the Syria issue may send a different message, aligning with the common interests of Turkiye and Azerbaijan. Besides, it has become clear that the discussions surrounding the opening of the border are being conducted parallel to Armenia's efforts to normalize its relations with Azerbaijan.

It is well known that until recent years, Armenia had isolated itself from both Turkiye and Azerbaijan by advancing territorial claims as well as fabricated genocide allegations against both countries. This behavior has kept Yerevan from participating in the region's most significant projects. Following Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 Patriotic War (the Second Garabagh War), Yerevan experienced a shock effect. In particular, after his return to power post-defeat, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his administration began taking markedly different steps.

In recent days, official Yerevan's growing interest in restoring relations with both Azerbaijan and Turkiye has been clearly visible. Pashinyan's positive remarks regarding constitutional changes and steps aligning with Baku's demands, as well as Armenia’s interest in opening borders with Turkiye, point to a thaw in relations in the near future. While Yerevan may still exhibit clumsiness on many issues, Pashinyan’s recent actions strongly indicate that Armenia is leaving behind its past ideology. For example, Pashinyan's administration recently communicated to the public that the fabricated genocide claims have become ineffective and irrelevant. After years of using these claims as a weapon, Armenia has realized that it cannot influence the world with them anymore. The current government has recognized that modern global power is centered around strong economic relations, not outdated traditions, and is now operating from a different political platform. A while ago, the Armenian Minister stressed that the country’s constitution, which had previously been rigid on territorial claims against Azerbaijan, would not change, but now that position has shifted. Even in the matter of opening communications, Armenia is attempting to demonstrate that it no longer thinks the same way as before. While this is largely symbolic, it is considered a positive step by external forces. Armenia’s dangerous ideological stances and its stubborn, opposing position have long attracted outside forces to the South Caucasus, creating a unique weight in the region and leading to the conflict’s continued artificial persistence, like a nuclear reaction.

For example, the Armenian lobby in active operation in Western countries still clings to territorial claims over Garabagh and even twists the legal proceedings of a group of Armenians imprisoned for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Garabagh. While Yerevan's support for such claims casts a shadow over its verbal stance, ultimately, the geopolitical situation forces the Pashinyan government to behave more realistically.

Thus, the temporary opening of the Turkiye-Armenia border at the Alican (Margara) checkpoint can be seen as a signal to Armenia that it will receive a positive response in exchange for its shift in stance. Turkiye, alongside Azerbaijan, is considering Armenia’s inclination to restore relations, expecting more positive steps in the future.