Sahak Maşalyan, patriarch of the Armenian Orthodox Church in Türkiye, accompanied the Christian congregation to a religious service in the eastern province of Van on Sunday. Maşalyan said that, along with prayers for global peace and brotherhood among people, they had "a special prayer” this year "for the restoration of Türkiye-Armenia ties.”

"People living in these lands deserve peace. We ask God for His blessing,” he said after the religious service at the historic Akdamar Church on the eponymous island in Lake Van.

Maşalyan was accompanied by Armenian faithful from across Türkiye, the United States, Europe, Armenia and neighboring Iran. Bishop Mesrob Parsamyan, primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, led the religious service.

Türkiye and Armenia took major steps toward rapprochement this year, especially after a visit to Yerevan by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and regular meetings between delegations from both sides to normalize relations. The two countries agreed to work on a direct railway route and the restoration of a historic bridge on the border.

Türkiye was one of the first countries to recognize Armenia’s independence within months of its declaration in 1991. Yet, one year later, Türkiye began cutting ties with Armenia and shut down the border when Armenia attacked Azerbaijan.

It took 15 years for the first steps toward normalizing relations to be taken. In 2009, the two countries signed protocols to that end, but the political climate in Armenia at the time stalled the normalization efforts. Under incumbent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia has largely abandoned its anti-Turkish rhetoric and introduced the "Real Armenia” doctrine, which promotes peace with its neighbors.