Turkey and Armenia are preparing for another step in their cautious rapprochement, with a new confidence-building measure underway, Turkish officials told Al-Monitor, though experts say Ankara could do more to support Yerevan, such as reopening border crossings and offering more visible political support.

Ankara and Yerevan lack formal diplomatic ties. The two countries launched normalization talks in 2022, but Turkey has tied full diplomatic recognition to a comprehensive peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Ankara’s closest regional ally.

The normalization process between Armenia and Turkey is expected to advance through a series of modest but concrete measures, including initiatives in trade, transport and education. While experts argue that Ankara could offer more support to help Yerevan manage domestic opposition and potential external interference, Turkish officials maintain that the talks are progressing steadily, allowing both sides to build trust at a measured pace.

The sixth round of Turkey-Armenia normalization talks was held in Armenia on Sept. 12 between Turkey’s special envoy to Armenia, Serdar Kilic, and his Armenian counterpart, Ruben Rubinyan. While the talks yielded no breakthrough, the two sides agreed on some steps that will further boost confidence between the two countries, Al-Monitor has learned from Turkish government sources.