First in nine years: Turkish deputy minister speaks at Armenian Independence Day reception

Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Berris Ekinci attended and addressed a reception in Istanbul on Oct. 14 marking the 35th anniversary of Armenia’s independence, the first such reception in the city since 2017.

Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Berris Ekinci attended a reception held in Istanbul on Oct. 14 to mark Armenia’s Independence Day and delivered a speech, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

The reception, marking the 35th anniversary of Armenia’s independence, was held at the InterContinental Hotel in Taksim and hosted by Nairi Petrosyan, Armenia’s permanent representative to the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC).

Ekinci addressing the reception

“An important reflection of the normalization process”

According to Turkish and Armenian media, it was the first such reception in Istanbul in about nine years, the previous one having been held in 2017, and participation at this level was seen as a symbolic step. In her speech, Ekinci described the reception as an important reflection of the normalization process between the two countries.

Türkiye and Armenia have been pursuing dialogue on normalizing relations through special envoys. Heavy rain and flooding in Istanbul reportedly made it difficult for Ekinci and other diplomats to reach the venue.