A border crossing between Türkiye and Armenia has been opened for the first time after over three decades on Saturday to allow humanitarian assistance following two major earthquakes that destroyed 10 provinces in the southeast.
Türkiye's special envoy for Armenia, Serdar Kılıç, tweeted photos of trucks passing through the Alican checkpoint at the Turkish side of the Aras river separating the two countries.
"I will always remember the generous aid sent by the people of Armenia to help alleviate the sufferings of our people in the earthquake-stricken region in Turkey," Kılıç said, thanking Armenian officials. He said five trucks with aid, including food and water, arrived in the country.
Anadolu Agency said the crossing was last used to send aid from the Turkish Red Crescent to earthquake-hit Armenia in 1988.
Kılıç, in his tweet, thanked Armenia and the Armenian national assembly's vice president Ruben Rubinyan. The aid also included medicine, he said.
"Happy to have been able to assist," Rubinyan said on Twitter.
Kılıç and Ruben Rubinyan held their first meeting on Jan. 14 in Moscow, and the second meeting in Vienna on Feb. 24, agreeing to continue negotiations without preconditions aimed at fully normalizing the relations.
The borders between the two countries have been closed for decades, and diplomatic relations have been on hold.
Last year, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said Armenia wants to establish diplomatic relations with Türkiye without any preconditions.
Türkiye and Armenia have had no diplomatic or commercial ties for three decades, and the talks are the first attempt to restore links since a 2009 peace accord. That deal was never ratified, and connections have remained tense. Following the war over Nagorno-Karabakh in which Turkey supported Azerbaijan against Armenia, Turkish-Armenian relations have entered a new phase, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan saying Türkiye is ready for dialogue with Armenia. Azerbaijan also helps the process.
A pair of magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes shook Türkiye's southeast on Monday, destroying thousands of homes and killing at least 21,000 people. Over 65 countries have pledged to help the quake-hit country, including Armenia, Greece, Israel, Egypt and others.
