Türkiye opens Akhalkalaki-Kars freight rail to Armenian trade as Pashinyan hails access to EU and Russia-China corridors
Türkiye and Armenia opened the Akhalkalaki-Kars railway line to Armenian imports and exports on May 24, with Türkiye's special representative for normalisation Serdar Kılıç saying the move would "improve quadruple cooperation among Türkiye, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia" and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan thanking partners in Türkiye and Georgia. Pashinyan said the route gives Armenia rail access to Russia via Georgia and Azerbaijan, to China via Russia and Kazakhstan, and strengthens its connection with the European Union through Türkiye and Georgia. He added that rail links with Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Iran were expected to follow, capping a normalisation track that earlier this month included Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz's visit to Yerevan and the signing of a joint deal to restore the ancient Ani Bridge.
Türkiye and Armenia have opened the Akhalkalaki-Kars railway line to Armenian imports and exports. Serdar Kılıç, a former ambassador who serves as Türkiye's special representative for normalising ties with Armenia, hailed the move on Sunday as "a new step in trade relations between the two neighbouring countries". "I hope this new step, which will also improve quadruple cooperation among Türkiye, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia and make a significant contribution to regional peace and stability, will be beneficial for all these countries", Kılıç said in a social media post, referring to an earlier announcement by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Pashinyan, who described the opening as "a major development for Armenia's economy", thanked partners in Türkiye and Georgia for their cooperation. He said the route now gives Armenia rail access to Russia via Georgia and Azerbaijan, and to China via Russia and Kazakhstan. The corridor running through Türkiye and Georgia, Pashinyan added, would strengthen Armenia's connection with the European Union, while rail links with Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Iran were expected "in the near future".
The opening follows a Yerevan visit earlier this month by Türkiye's Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, the highest-ranking Turkish official to travel to Armenia since former President Abdullah Gül, during which the two governments signed a deal for the joint restoration of the ancient Ani Bridge on the border. Yılmaz's trip is regarded as significant as Ankara and Yerevan explore further cooperation and, eventually, full normalisation of relations.
Türkiye and Armenia have held a string of talks at various levels since 2020. Most recently, delegations met in Kars in eastern Türkiye to discuss reviving the railway between the two neighbours; earlier, both sides launched direct passenger and cargo flights and approved the opening of the Alican border crossing to third-country citizens and to holders of diplomatic passports. Before Yılmaz's visit, Pashinyan last met President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Istanbul in June 2025.