Pashinyan condemned activists for burning a Turkish flag in Yerevan.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called the burning of the Turkish flag by ARF Dashnaktsutyun activists in Yerevan "obviously provocative behavior." Official Yerevan has no practical influence on the process of normalizing relations with Turkey, according to the ARF leadership.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot,"  every year on April 23 and 24, residents of Armenia hold commemoration events for the victims of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire. Participants in the torchlight procession in Yerevan, timed to coincide with the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, burned the Turkish flag.

The burning of the Turkish flag by ARF Dashnaktsutyun activists in Yerevan during a torchlight procession marking the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was condemned by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The prime minister's position was voiced by his press secretary, Nazeli Baghdasaryan. Pashinyan considered this action "obviously provocative and tension-inciting behavior," characterizing it as "irresponsible and unacceptable," Armenpress reports.

"The burning of the flag of an internationally recognized state, especially a neighboring country, cannot be assessed any differently by the head of state," Baghdasaryan emphasized.

The Armenian authorities only reported on their efforts to normalize relations with Turkey on April 22: for example, Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan met with Turkish President Abdullah Gül as part of the Delphic Economic Forum. "During the meeting, we exchanged views on issues of mutual interest," Grigoryan wrote on his Facebook page*.

As of January 1, 2026, Armenia and Turkey officially introduced a simplified procedure for obtaining electronic visas for holders of diplomatic, service, and special passports. In early 2026, they also agreed on a mechanism for direct overland trade through Georgia. The land borders between Armenia and Turkey remain closed, but air travel continues, including Yerevan-Istanbul flights, the Armenian government noted.

The ARF Dashnaktsutyun "Hay Dat" Central Council expressed its position on relations between Armenia and Turkey in a statement commemorating the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire. According to the statement's authors, "there is no conflict in the classical sense in Armenian-Turkish relations, but there is a genocidal element to these relations."

ARF representatives drew attention to the imbalance in the bilateral relations between Yerevan and Ankara. They believe that "internationally accepted conflict resolution mechanisms" are ineffective under these conditions.

“The Armenian authorities have thoughtlessly and unconditionally satisfied all of Turkey’s preconditions. The Turkish side not only refuses to implement the agreed-upon steps but also puts forward new preconditions, while continuing to claim that Armenian-Turkish relations are conditioned by Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. As a result, a situation has arisen in which official Yerevan lacks practical tools and opportunities to influence the process of normalizing interstate relations between Armenia and Turkey,” reads a document published on the organization’s website on April 23.

Materials on the attitudes of various countries toward the Armenian Genocide have been collected by the “Caucasian Knot” on the thematic page “Armenian Genocide: 100 Years of Admissions and Denials”.