Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan arrived in Turkey on Friday for a landmark visit at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The two leaders are set to meet at Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace, marking the first bilateral visit by an Armenian head of government to Turkey in over a decade.

Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan described the visit as "historic," emphasizing that all regional issues, including Armenia-Azerbaijan peace efforts and the fallout from the Iran-Israel conflict, will be on the agenda.

"The risks of war (with Azerbaijan) are currently minimal, and we must work to neutralize them. Pashinyan's visit to Turkey is a step in that direction," Simonyan told reporters.

Pashinyan has actively pursued reconciliation with both Turkey and Azerbaijan, despite domestic criticism. Earlier this year, he announced Armenia would halt its campaign for international recognition of the 1915 events as "genocide"—a significant concession to Turkey that sparked backlash at home.

The visit follows a June 5 phone call between Pashinyan and Erdoğan, where both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to dialogue. While Turkey recognized Armenia’s independence in 1991, relations deteriorated during the First Karabakh War, leading to a closed border and severed diplomatic ties in 1993.

Hopes for reconciliation were reignited after the 2020 Second Karabakh War. In 2021, both countries appointed special envoys to normalize relations and discuss reopening their land border. Limited progress has been made, with third-country citizens and diplomats allowed to cross, but full normalization remains elusive.

The meeting comes amid shifting geopolitical dynamics in the South Caucasus. Armenia has been distancing itself from Russia and moving closer to the European Union, while Turkey seeks a larger diplomatic role in the region.

Pashinyan’s visit follows Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s talks with Erdoğan on Thursday, highlighting Turkey’s delicate balancing act between its traditional ally, Azerbaijan, and its efforts to mend ties with Armenia.

In recent years, the Margara border crossing has been used for limited humanitarian purposes, including Armenian aid deliveries after Turkey’s 2023 earthquake and aid shipments to Syria in 2024. Armenia has upgraded the crossing in anticipation of future use.