Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Friday condemned the burning of the Turkish flag during a torchlit march in Armenia’s capital, calling the act a “provocation” that risks escalating tensions.
According to the state news agency Armenpress, Pashinyan criticized the incident that took place during a march organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), describing it as “clearly provocative and inciting.”
In a statement to Armenpress, the prime minister’s spokesperson, Nazeli Baghdasaryan, said Pashinyan views such actions as “irresponsible and unacceptable,” emphasizing that the burning of the flag of an internationally recognized state, particularly that of a neighboring country, cannot be justified.
The incident comes amid fragile relations between Armenia and Türkiye, as both countries have engaged in intermittent efforts to normalize ties in recent years.
The two countries share a complex history. Armenia, for a long time, has accused Türkiye, or rather, the Ottoman Empire, of committing "genocide" against the Armenian population in the country during World War I. Türkiye has repeatedly denied the claims, although it has acknowledged a high number of deaths among Armenians due to isolated incidents and diseases.
The “genocide,” as Armenia calls it, is a thorn in the bid to normalize relations between Türkiye and Armenia. Türkiye rejects Armenian discourse on the 1915 mass deaths of Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire and has repeatedly urged its neighbor to leave the matter to historians and not let it overshadow ties.
Armenia pursues normalization efforts with Azerbaijan and Türkiye, a process accelerated particularly after Azerbaijan’s victory over Karabakh, a territory occupied by Armenia for years.
Relations began to thaw after the 2020 Karabakh war, with both sides appointing special envoys to pursue normalization talks and negotiating the reopening of their land border. So far, limited agreements have allowed third-country citizens and diplomats to cross, but a full reopening remains elusive.
