Trading Across Armenia-Turkey Closed Border: Grassroots Commerce In the Shadow of History

Abstract

The longstanding antagonism between Armenia and Turkey, shaped by the legacy of the Armenian Genocide and Turkey’s support for Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, has led to closed borders, mutual distrust, and stalled diplomatic efforts. Yet since the 1990s, grassroots trade networks have quietly developed between the two countries. This paper explores the experiences of Armenian shuttle traders who, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, turned to Istanbul’s markets out of economic necessity. Engaging in commerce with Turkish vendors, they navigated relationships shaped by both economic interdependence and memory of historical grievances.

Scholarship on Armenia-Turkey relations focuses on genocide recognition, political stagnation, or the personal accounts of survivors. As a result, the experiences of traders who operate in shared spaces remain largely unexamined. Despite dominant nationalist narratives that emphasize enmity and mistrust, the domain of informal trade reveals an alternative story of ongoing collaboration between Armenian and Turkish businesspeople. These exchanges, though centered on profit, also generate informal networks of trust and communication.

By centering on this overlooked form of engagement, the paper highlights the role of non-state actors in shaping the everyday realities of bilateral relations. It offers a more layered understanding of how commerce can serve as both a site of practical exchange and a subtle means of reconciling historical tensions. Through the voices and experiences of Armenian traders in Istanbul, the paper contributes to a more inclusive and constructive discourse on Armenian-Turkish relations and uncovers the complex interplay of grievance, collaboration, and economic survival.