Despite maintaining close ties with Israel, Azerbaijan criticised the move, suggesting Tel Aviv miscalculated the political cost among its closest Muslim partners.
Armenia says move is pointless
But the most telling response came from Yerevan itself. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia saw no need to respond to Israel’s recognition, arguing that avoiding the “weaponisation” of the issue was in the country’s own interest, telling reporters at a briefing, “We see no need to respond.”
Armenia, the supposed beneficiary of Israel’s gesture, effectively distanced itself from the move.
After years of painstaking normalisation efforts with both Türkiye and Azerbaijan, Yerevan has little appetite for a symbolic gesture that could reopen old wounds and undo recent progress.
Pashinyan’s government appears to understand what Israel apparently did not: dragging 1915 back into geopolitical games serves no one’s interests, least of all Armenia’s.
Pashinyan reaffirmed after his election win in June 2026 that securing lasting peace with Azerbaijan remains his government’s strategic priority. He argued normalising ties with Baku is essential for Armenia’s long-term security, economic growth and regional stability.
Resetting Türkiye-Armenia ties
Israel’s move lands at an awkward moment. Türkiye and Armenia have spent the past year cautiously rebuilding ties, with normalisation talks, border discussions and people-to-people initiatives gradually chipping away at decades of frozen relations.
Türkiye and Azerbaijan, meanwhile, have only deepened their alliance, particularly through joint defence cooperation, regional connectivity projects and shared positions on Gaza, where both have condemned Israeli actions.
Against this backdrop of cautious regional diplomacy, Israel’s unilateral 1915 designation looks increasingly isolated.
Rather than driving a wedge between Ankara, Baku and Yerevan, the move appears to have done the opposite, drawing criticism from Azerbaijan and a cold shoulder from Armenia, while reinforcing Türkiye’s narrative that Israel is using historical grievances to dodge accountability for its ongoing atrocities in Gaza.
