Ankara Considers Applications from Airlines for Istanbul-Yerevan Flights

Ankara will review applications from Turkish and Armenian airlines to operate Istanbul-Yerevan-Istanbul flights. A decision may be made in the coming days. This was stated by Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, according to RIA Novosti.

"The applications from the airlines are being examined by the Ministry of Transport and the General Directorate of Civil Aviation of Turkey. The Turkish side has a positive attitude on this matter. It will become clear in the coming days whether they will be able to fly on this route or not," Çavuşoğlu said in a conversation with journalists.

It is noteworthy that a few days ago, the Turkish minister announced that Yerevan and Ankara would appoint special representatives to discuss issues related to the normalization of relations. He also mentioned the intention to open non-chartered flights with Yerevan.

The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has positively assessed the Turkish Foreign Minister’s statement regarding the appointment of a special representative for the normalization of relations and confirmed that the Armenian side will also appoint a special representative for dialogue.

The report also reminds that there are no diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia, with the closed border between the two countries dating back to 1993, initiated by Ankara. The complex relations between the countries are caused by a number of issues, particularly related to Azerbaijan’s stance on the Karabakh issue, Ankara's support, and the process of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire in 1915.