MP: Turkish journalists visit Armenia on state budget, then mock country

MP Gegham Manukyan of the opposition Hayastan faction has strongly criticized the Armenian government for funding a visit by Turkish journalists.

Citing the findings of the Freedom of Information Center, the MP highlighted on Wednesday that millions were spent to bring Turkish journalists to Armenia.

“In the history of Armenia’s independent statehood, there has never been another instance where Turkish journalists visited Armenia at the government’s expense, toured the country on taxpayer money, stayed in one of Yerevan’s most luxurious hotels and then mocked Armenia,” he wrote on Facebook.

According to Manukyan, the visit was initially planned for December 2024 as part of a state-funded conference by the Orbeli Center, which never took place. “There was no mention of a special interview with Nikol Pashinyan,” he said. “Their real goal was to pressure Yerevan into abandoning the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, which they ultimately achieved.”

He contrasted the current situation with the 2000s, particularly the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and subsequent years when global parliaments were adopting resolutions recognizing the genocide. “Back then, international headlines spoke of an ‘Armenian tsunami’, focusing on Turkey’s struggle to withstand Armenian diplomatic pressure. Today, however, the narrative has shifted to discussions about the return of Azerbaijanis to Yerevan,” he noted.

Manukyan also emphasized that in the past, leading Turkish journalists visited Armenia on their own initiative. “The former editor-in-chief of CNN Türk came here without state funding and, unlike his successor, treated Armenia with respect,” he added.