By Alexander Pracht
Turkish Consul General in Aleppo, Muammer Hakan Cengiz, visited Armenia’s Consulate General in the city on Wednesday, according to a statement from the Armenian diplomatic mission.
During the meeting, Armenian Consul General Ara Avetisyan congratulated Cengiz on the reopening of the Turkish consulate after a long hiatus, his appointment to the position, and the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan. Avetisyan also thanked Turkey for temporarily opening their mutual border for trucks delivering humanitarian aid from Armenia to Syria through Turkish territory.
Cengiz explained that in line with diplomatic protocol, he saw it as his duty to visit the only functioning diplomatic mission in Aleppo and to meet with his Armenian counterpart. Avetisyan accepted his invitation to attend the Turkish Consulate General’s official opening ceremony.
Despite having no diplomatic relations, Armenia and Turkey recognize each other as independent states and have no territorial claims against one another. However, their shared border has remained closed since 1993. In 2022, Yerevan and Ankara agreed to open a border checkpoint for diplomats and citizens of third countries, but no progress has been made on implementing this decision so far.
Last Friday’s opening of the border mirrored a similar measure in February 2023, when the crossing was opened for Yerevan to send aid to victims of the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
Syria remains in turmoil, with ongoing humanitarian needs exacerbated by political instability. In December, the Turkish-backed Islamist armed group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham ousted the country’s authoritarian leader, Bashar al-Assad, further complicating the situation.
For Armenians, Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, holds deep historical significance as a refuge for survivors of the Armenian Genocide. The city has long been home to one of the largest Armenian communities in the Middle East. However, years of war have taken a heavy toll on the community, with many forced to flee.
