Preparation of the Alican border crossing between Türkiye and Armenia is nearly complete, signaling a milestone in ongoing efforts to normalize relations after decades of frozen diplomacy.
Work at the crossing, located in the eastern city of Iğdır's Karakoyunlu district, is 90 percent finished, according to Türkiye's state-run Anadolu Agency. The site sits directly across from the Armenian province of Armavir's Margara town.
Current progress includes the completion of customs facilities and administrative buildings. Local authorities have also installed billboards and advertisements intended to encourage Armenian travelers to explore the region once the gates officially open.
The technical assessments and preparatory measures follow a historic crossing in September, when a Turkish delegation led by Ambassador Serdar Kılıç used the Alican checkpoint to enter Armenia. This marked the first time in decades that diplomatic envoys utilized a land crossing between the two nations.
Türkiye closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in a show of support for Azerbaijan during the first Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Reconciliation efforts gained significant momentum following a Sept. 1 meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during a summit in China.
Other signs of warming ties include Turkish Airlines recently announcing plans to launch direct flights to Armenia and the Armenian government ordering the removal of the silhouette of Mount Ağrı from border crossing passport stamps. Additionally, travel restrictions have already been eased for diplomatic and special passport holders.
While a 2009 attempt at reconciliation failed, both nations have expressed renewed optimism since appointing special envoys in 2021. The current trajectory follows a working visit by Pashinyan to Ankara in June, where he met with Erdoğan to discuss repairing ties.
