Turkey-Armenia Relations

The two protocols signed by the Armenian and Turkish foreign ministers in Zurich in October 2009 addressed the twin issues of establishing diplomatic relations and reopening the closed Armenian-Turkish border. They offered a strategic roadmap for each country to “normalise” relations as a first step toward the broader process of reconciliation. Since the signing of the protocols, however, the “normalisation” process has dramatically stalled, with official state-level engagement suspended. During this period, despite several new opportunities for reengagement or reactivity, each side has retreated to their previously hard-line positions. The two briefing papers drafted respectively by a Turkish and an Armenian analyst assess the past efforts and the current state of play of Turkey-Armenia relations, suggest possible future scenarios and present several specific recommendations for action.