Patriarch prays for restoration of Turkish-Armenian ties

At the historic Akdamar Church on an island in Lake Van, Armenian Patriarch Sahak Maşalyan offered a prayer with a specific political hope in mind: the restoration of ties between Türkiye and Armenia.

“People living in these lands deserve peace. We ask God for His blessing,” Maşalyan said after Sunday’s service in Van province. Alongside prayers for global peace and brotherhood, he said the congregation had made “a special prayer” this year for renewed relations between the two countries.

Armenian faithful travelled from across Türkiye, Armenia, neighboring Iran, the United States and Europe to attend the service. Bishop Mesrob Parsamyan, primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, led the ceremony.

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A special prayer this year for the restoration of Türkiye-Armenia ties.

The prayer came as Ankara and Yerevan have taken important steps toward rapprochement. Those efforts gained momentum after Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz visited Yerevan and delegations from both sides held regular meetings on normalizing relations. The countries also agreed to work on a direct railway route and restore a historic bridge on their border.

Türkiye recognized Armenia’s independence within months of its declaration in 1991. A year later, however, it began cutting ties with Armenia and closed the border after Armenia attacked Azerbaijan. Fifteen years passed before the first steps toward normalization began.

The two countries signed protocols in 2009, but Armenia’s political climate stalled the effort. Under Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia has largely dropped its anti-Turkish rhetoric and adopted the “Real Armenia” doctrine, which promotes peace with neighboring countries.

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People living in these lands deserve peace. We ask God for His blessing.