Pashinyan pledges full normalization with Türkiye ahead of election

YEREVAN

Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan delivers a speech during a press conference for Armenia's Republic Day in Yerevan on May 28, 2026. (Photo by KAREN MINASYAN / AFP)

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has pledged to complete the normalization process with Türkiye if reelected in the country’s pivotal June 7 general election, which is widely seen as a de facto referendum on his government’s pro-Western foreign policy shift.

“I am confident that we will achieve the goal of normalizing relations with Azerbaijan and Türkiye. This will complete our balancing foreign policy and create new opportunities for Armenia to become a qualitatively new state,” Pashinyan said in a video message posted on social media on June 1.

Pashinyan argued that the absence of diplomatic ties with Türkiye reflects an imbalance in Armenia’s foreign relations.

“If we have no relations with Türkiye, it means one side of the scale is empty,” he said, stressing that Armenia should maintain relations with Türkiye, Azerbaijan and all other countries

He added that this policy is not driven by political “whims” but by national interests.

Türkiye and Armenia have had no diplomatic relations since 1991, while their shared border has remained closed since 1993 amid tensions related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and longstanding disputes over the events of 1915.

The normalization process gained momentum in late 2021 with the appointment of special envoys. Since then, the two sides have taken several confidence-building steps, including launching direct cargo flights, discussing the opening of the land border to third-country nationals and diplomats, and advancing projects such as the Gyumri-Kars railway and the restoration of the historic Ani Bridge.

[HH] A vote on Armenia’s geopolitical orbit

The June 7 vote is expected to serve as a de facto referendum on Pashinyan’s efforts to steer Armenia away from Russia’s orbit and deepen ties with the European Union and the United States.

A recent Breavis poll suggested Pashinyan’s Civil Contract Party could secure nearly 65 percent of decided voters, positioning it for a commanding parliamentary majority.

If the projections hold, the result would provide Pashinyan with a strong mandate to consolidate Armenia’s strategic pivot toward the West.

Such an outcome would likely accelerate Yerevan’s departure from Moscow’s sphere of influence while reinforcing the landmark peace agreement signed last year with Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev at the White House, aimed at ending decades of conflict between the two countries and advancing regional stability and cooperation.

U.S. President Donald Trump also publicly endorsed Pashinyan’s reelection bid.

The vote also signals a broader recalibration of Armenia’s national strategy after decades within Russia’s post-Soviet orbit.

Moscow has intensified pressure on Yerevan in recent weeks. On May 30, Russia recalled its ambassador to Armenia for consultations over the country’s growing ties with the European Union, one day after President Vladimir Putin warned Armenia against moving closer to Brussels.