Turkey Plans to Open Flights to Various Regions of Armenia and Expand Trade Relations

Turkey is planning to open flights to various regions of Armenia and expand trade relations with Yerevan, reports the newspaper Hüriyyet, citing closed discussions on foreign policy within the Turkish presidential administration.

Earlier, Turkey's civil aviation authority announced that air traffic with Armenia will commence on February 2, with flights scheduled three times a week. Turkey has granted the Armenian airline Flyone Armenia permission to operate Yerevan-Istanbul-Yerevan flights, while Armenia's civil aviation authority has allowed the Turkish airline Pegasus to operate flights in the same direction.

“As a first step, it was decided to open air communication with Armenia. Subsequently, the issue of flights to other regions will be put on the agenda. Specifically, Van could become a tourist center for Armenians. At the same time, there are plans to restore certain historical structures, such as bridges and buildings near Kars, which hold great significance for Armenians. To reduce the pressure from the Armenian diaspora, trade relations will also be expanded,” the newspaper states.

It is noteworthy that there are no diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey. In 2009, the foreign ministers of the two countries signed protocols in Zurich to establish diplomatic relations; however, these documents were never ratified.