The Hrant Dink Foundation has published an analytical report “Insights beyond borders: Turkey-Armenia relations through public eyes”, which is the result of joint research conducted between 2023-2024 by the Caucasus Research Resource Center (CRRC)-Armenia Foundation and the KONDA Research and Consultancy Company.

Following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, the perceptions of people in Armenia and Turkey towards each other were severely, negatively affected. In order to gain a better understanding of the current situation at the civil society level and the factors shaping the perceptions of people from Turkey and Armenia, and to ascertain which demographic groups and thematic fields can be pursued as part of HDF’s future activities, HDF commissioned a public opinion research in Armenia and Turkey.

Although research and surveys have been conducted on Turkey-Armenia relations in the past, this research had two distinct objectives. The first of these was to collect information from the general public of Turkey and Armenia regarding their perceptions on normalisation of relations between the two neighbouring countries. The findings are pivotal irrespective of the prevailing political climate; giving an opportunity to learn about the civil society dynamics of the neighbouring countries, they offer critical insights for stakeholders, policy-makers, subject-matter experts, researchers as well as those generally interested in this field. The findings provide alternative perspectives to any aspect of their field of interest, as well as to explore and/or further develop collaborative efforts towards normalisation. Moreover, the results of the joint research project provide data driven information to capitalise on developments and build on existing results while reinforcing connections. The second objective of the research was to foster dialogue and professional exchange between the two research centres, KONDA and CRRC-Armenia. HDF has been continuously implementing dialogue programmes between experts in Armenia and Turkey and has observed that opportunities for experts in the two countries to interact around a specific, thematic field are one of the most effective means of increasing dialogue, promoting cooperation among professionals, exchanging experiences and know-how and raising awareness.

This report outlines the findings of an original primary research on the public perceptions in Armenia and Turkey about Turkey-Armenia normalisation. The contents of this report are based on two parallel research initiatives, conducted simultaneously in Armenia and in Turkey. Methodological commonalities and differences are transparently communicated in the main sections of the report. In both countries a quantitative and qualitative study was undertaken and the research is representative of the general adult population of both countries.

The report comprises 4 chapters:

  • Preface;
  • Chapter 1. Armenia under the lens: exploring public sentiments on normalisation;
  • Chapter 2. Turkey under the lens: exploring public sentiments on normalisation, and
  • Chapter 3. Expert insights: synthesising commonalities and differences in Armenia-Turkey normalisation.

The report is published by HDF within the framework of the “Support to Armenia-Turkey Normalisation Process-Rapid Responses” programme, funded by the European Union. It is currently available in English, with Armenian and Turkish versions to become available in the near future.