Erdoğan and Pashinyan hold private talks in New York as Turkey-Armenia ties inch forward
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the Turkish House in New York during the UN General Assembly, signaling continued progress in normalising relations.
In New York, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan gathered for a private session at the Turkish House while the UN General Assembly was in session. Turkey’s foreign minister Hakan Fidan also participated in the talks. The encounter is part of a multi-year push that began with the 2021 appointment of special envoys to normalize ties after decades of tension.
Recent milestones include the restart of direct passenger and cargo flights and renewed diplomatic contacts. Both governments argue that improving Turkey-Armenia relations, together with a comprehensive peace settlement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, could boost regional stability, connectivity and trade in the South Caucasus. Nevertheless, a full reopening of the land border, shut since 1993, has not yet been achieved.
Why it matters
The meeting marks a tangible step toward ending decades of hostility between Turkey and Armenia, affecting regional stability and trade.
How this story developed
- Sep 17 World Leaders Convene at UN General Assembly to Tackle AI, Conflict and Climate
- Sep 20 Brazil opened the floor and the United States spoke second, establishing the speaking order for the session.
- Sep 22 The agenda now places artificial intelligence governance at the forefront of UN discussions.
- Sep 22 President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan urged the UN General Assembly to intensify pressure on Israel over Gaza and to support Palestinian statehood, while also demanding reforms to the UN Security Council and recognition of Turkish Cypriots.
- Sep 23 Erdoğan’s UN speech included a graphic description of Gaza as a graveyard for children and a site of child amputations.
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