Turkey signed a contract on September 28 to restore the historic Ani Bridge on its border with Armenia as the two countries work to improve relations, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced in a written statement on Sunday.
The contract followed a September 16 bidding process overseen by Turkey’s Directorate General of Highways (KGM). An agreement signed in the Armenian capital of Yerevan on May 4 sets out the scope of the restoration and how the work will be carried out. A joint commission involving Turkey’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (UAB) and KGM will coordinate the project.
Turkish special envoy Serdar Kılıç and Armenia’s then-special envoy Ruben Rubinyan signed the agreement on May 4 during the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, with Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in attendance.
Uraloğlu did not disclose the project’s cost, completion date or contractor. His statement identified the Turkish ministry and KGM as members of the joint commission but did not specify its Armenian members.
Turkey and Armenia have had no diplomatic relations since 1991, and their land border has been closed since 1993 amid tensions due to a conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. The two countries appointed special envoys in late 2021 and began talks to normalize relations in 2022. Since then, they have launched direct cargo flights and discussed restoring transport links, such as the railway connecting Gyumri in Armenia with Kars in Turkey.
Rubinyan stepped down as Armenia’s special envoy after being elected speaker of parliament on August 3. Armenia has yet to appoint a replacement.
The two countries have also agreed in principle to open their land border to citizens of other countries and diplomatic passport holders, but the arrangement has not yet been implemented.
The Ani archaeological site, which includes the bridge, was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2016 in recognition of its cultural significance.
Armenia continues to work with Turkey and Azerbaijan toward opening the Turkish-Armenian border, although Azerbaijan has reservations about the issue, Pashinyan has said.
Armenia does not want to take advantage of possible tensions between Turkey and Azerbaijan, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said. He also pointed to progress in relations with Turkey, citing customs arrangements that allow direct trade between the two countries, which he said had not existed a year or two earlier.
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