Relations between Türkiye and Armenia have long been constrained by historical legacies, unresolved conflicts and regional rivalries. Yet developments in the South Caucasus over the past several years have created a genuine opportunity to overcome this long-standing impasse. In an article I wrote for Daily Sabah in February 2026, I described this moment as a “window of opportunity.” The steps taken since then suggest that this window is widening.
The transformation began with Azerbaijan’s victory in the Second Karabakh War in 2020 and the new regional balance that emerged after 2023. The end of the old status quo created an opportunity to rethink the South Caucasus not through the lens of frozen conflicts, but based on sovereignty, mutual recognition, connectivity and regional cooperation.
The agreement reached between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Washington on Aug. 8, 2025, together with the initialing of the draft peace agreement, marked a historic milestone. By recognizing each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, renouncing territorial claims and committing to the principle of non-use of force, the two sides laid the foundations for a fundamentally different regional order. Important issues remain before peace is fully institutionalized. Nevertheless, the region has crossed an important threshold from conflict toward cooperation. This changing environment has also created new possibilities for Türkiye-Armenia relations.
