Turkey builds military base near Armenian border amid thaw in relations – report

While taking steps to normalize relations with Armenia, Turkey on the other hand started to build a military base near its Armenian border to “fight terrorism."

A modular military base that will be equipped with modern night vision surveillance technologies and other weapon systems is being built on Mount Ararat, Asbarez reported on Monday, citing Turkish local media.

The base is located at an altitude of almost 7,000 feet above sea level, it said.

The diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia have suspended in early 1990’s due to Armenia’s conflict with Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, which the two countries embroiled in six-week of clashes in 2020 autumn.

Ankara who sided with Baku since the start of the conflict and kept its land border with Armenia closed since 1993, has recently pursuing steps to mend ties with Yerevan. At the beginning of last year, the two countries launched talks aimed at normalising diplomatic relations frozen for almost three decades. Last week, Turkey announced that an embargo on air cargo transportation with Armenia had been lifted, as part of the agreements reached with Yerevan in July.

The July negotiations had also included a deal that citizens of third countries would be able to cross the land border.

Commenting on Turkey’s lifting a ban on air cargo trade with Armenia, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Tuesday said it’s important to have dynamics in the relations.

“I hope that soon the [land] border will be opened for citizens of third countries, and we also expect the opening of the border for diplomatic passport holders,” he said.