Türkiye says preparations complete to reopen border crossings with Armenia

ANKARA

Türkiye has completed preparations to reopen its road and railway border crossings with Armenia, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu has said.

Uraloğlu said on Nov. 10 that the necessary work was finalized for the reopening of both the Margara–Alican road crossing and the railway crossing, adding that he discussed the matter with his Armenian counterpart.

The minister said the process would not take long if the two sides reached an agreement, expressing hope that the crossings could be reopened in the near future.

He also stressed that Türkiye would take into account issues of importance to Azerbaijan as part of the process.

On the Armenian side, renovation and modernization work at the Margara border crossing has already been completed.

In August 2026, Armenian State Revenue Committee Chairman Eduard Hakobyan said the crossing was ready to become operational.

Türkiye and Armenia have had no diplomatic relations since 1991, while their land border has remained closed since 1993, amid tensions stemming from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and disagreements over the 1915 events.

Efforts to normalize ties gained momentum in late 2021, when the two countries appointed special envoys to lead the process.

Since then, the two sides have taken several confidence-building steps, including launching direct cargo flights and discussing the reopening of the land border to third-country nationals and diplomatic passport holders.

They have also explored infrastructure projects, including the restoration of the historic Ani Bridge and the reactivation of the Gyumri-Kars railway line.

On Oct. 25, Türkiye said that Türkiye has completed the tender process for the reconstruction of the historic Ani Bridge.

Estimated to date back to the 10th century, the bridge, of which only its piers remain today, has emerged as a symbol of normalization efforts