Turkiye Benefits From U.S. Vice President Vance February Visit To Armenia. Special Turkish Airlines IST To EVN Flight To Coincide With Visit? Political Value From “Airborne Embassy” Appearance
Turkiye Benefits From United States Vice President Vance Visit To Armenia
Opportunity To Showcase In Advance New Turkish Airlines Operations From IST To EVN
Turkish Airlines Should Consider A Special Flight From IST To EVN To Coincide With The Visit By Vice President Vance To Armenia
Political And Practical Value For Politically Relevant Armenian Communities In United States, Particularly California
Turkish Airlines IST To EVN Flights May Encourage Vice President Vance To Encourage Azerbaijan Airlines GYD To EVN Flights And Armenian Airlines EVN To GYD Flights
Donald Trump, President of the United States (2017-2021 and 2025-2029), confirmed J.D. Vance, Vice President of the United States (2025-2029), will visit Armenia in February 2026.
A primary focus for Vice President Vance will be to advance operationally the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) created in August 2025. Expect announcements and contract signings, even if only ceremonial.
23 January 2026 (Truth Social Post): “I want to thank President Aliyev of Azerbaijan, and Prime Minister Pashinyan of Armenia for upholding the Peace Agreement we signed last August. This was a nasty War, 1 of 8 that I have ended, but now we have Prosperity and Peace. In February, Vice President Vance will travel to both Countries to build on our Peace efforts, and advance the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity. We will strengthen our strategic partnership with Azerbaijan, a beautiful Agreement for Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation with Armenia, Deals for our Great Semiconductor Makers, and the sale of Made in the U.S.A. Defense Equipment, such as body armor and boats, and more, to Azerbaijan. Thank you! President DJT”
The visit by Vice President Vance to Armenia dovetails nicely with the 11 March 2026 inauguration of Istanbul, Turkiye-based Turkish Airlines (Türk Hava Yolları Anonim Ortaklığı) services from Istanbul Havalimani (IST) to Zvartnots International Airport (EVN) in Yerevan, the capital.
Currently, Pegasus Airlines, a low-cost subsidiary of Turkish Airlines, operates flights from Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW) to EVN. SAW is not IST. SAW is on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. IST is on the European side of the Bosphorus. IST has a global reach. SAW does not.
On 11 March 2026, Turkish Airlines flight TK 358 departing IST at 13:15 and arriving to EVN at 16:30 will be another example of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Turkiye (2014-2028), deploying Turkish Airlines as an “Airborne Embassy” to advance commercial, economic, financial, political, and societal interests.
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The second inauguration of President Trump fast-tracked formalized co-existence and re-engagement for Armenia (2024 population approximately 3.1 million) and Azerbaijan (2024 population approximately 10.3 million). Neither the prime minister of Armenia nor the president of Azerbaijan obtained all of what they desired.
The cultural, military, and religious conflicts between the two neighbors, one with approximately 97% of its population embracing Christianity and the other with approximately 97% of its population embracing Islam, are viewed from afar- meaning primarily outside of the region, as unfortunate and unnecessary.
A primary beneficiary from the Armenia-Azerbaijan re-engagement is President Erdogan and Turkiye-based companies. Turkiye’s 2024 population is approximately 87 million.
President Erdogan’s allegiance and alliance have been with the government of Azerbaijan. The movement of people and products from Turkiye into Armenia and from Armenia into Turkiye will benefit the public sector and private sector within Turkiye.
There remain political issues with Armenia for the government of Turkiye. There were Ottoman Empire era decisions in the early twentieth century that remain painful for citizens of Armenia (and diaspora in the United States, particularly in the State of California). Resolving them is challenging; and they may be unresolvable.
Critical for political leadership in Armenia and Azerbaijan to set aside, not forget, but set aside concerns, fear, and unresolved issues and focus upon the optics, the performative. Turkiye too.
For both Baku and Yerevan, important to focus upon what in diplomatic parlance are referred to as “confidence builders” such as awarding contracts promptly so the TRIPP can be operational, communication projects fast-tracked for approval and financing, and for travel to be normalized.
The most important focus is for the movement of people. Establishing non-stop air services connecting the two capitals, Baku (Azerbaijan Airlines) with Yerevan (Armenian Airlines).
Not challenging to estimate a market potential for the daily Turkish Airlines non-stop flights from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to IST serving as efficient connections with Turkish Airlines flights from IST to EVN.
The approximately 250,000 individuals of Armenian descent residing in California (with the 2020 census reporting 519,000 for the United States, but organizations suggesting the number is approximately 500,000 to 1.5 million) will likely increas travel to visit family, friends, and for commercial dealings, along with potential tourism-related stopovers in Turkiye. Shareholders in Turkish Airlines will have another reason to embrace management decisions.
For individuals not of Armenian descent, connectivity from the fourteen Turkish Airlines gateways in the United States- expanding soon to a reported twenty, will enhance reasons for travelers to select Turkish Airlines as the means to visit Armenia. A new route always attracts attention.
Helpful too for the government of Turkiye to soonest authorize all vehicle travel from Turkiye to Armenia. And implement the maximum breadth of electronic commercial documentation and electronic visa travel processes. This will enhance further family connectivity and commercial connectivity, particularly from the United States.
There are always leanings in politics towards extraction and leverage; not giving until receiving; not rewarding unless rewarded; the bank shot- one government does something for another government expecting that government to do something for a third government.
There may be political value for restraint by the government of Turkiye toward the government of Armenia until there are changes to the constitution of Armenia, changes which are favored by Azerbaijan and supported by the government of Turkiye. The political value should be de-linked from the Turkiye-Armenia bilateral relationship.
Turkiye has nothing to fear from Armenia. Turkiye has everything to gain from engaging. The Trump-Vance Administration and Members of the United States Congress will take notice too.
Turkiye is a G20 member (2025 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) approximately US$1.5 trillion). Armenia is a G116 member (2025 GDP approximately US$27 billion). Azerbaijan is a G84 member (2025 GDP approximately US$76 billion). Turkiye is one of thirty-two members of the Brussels, Belgium-based North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)- and maintains the second largest military among those members.
