Mesrop Arakelyan, co-founder of the Country to Live party, wrote on Facebook that “the competition for Turkey’s ambassador to Armenia is now open,” in reaction to a Facebook post by Armenia’s Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan.
“One of the Facebook status ministers, who moonlights as a cabinet member, asks: How would you feel if Mount Aragats appeared on Turkey’s border stamp? The contest for Turkey’s ambassador to Armenia is now open,” Arakelyan wrote.
Earlier, Papoyan had posted on Facebook: “To those upset about Mount Ararat being removed from our border stamps: how would you react if Mount Aragats appeared on Turkey’s border stamp?”
The exchange follows a controversial government decision, adopted without discussion, to remove the image of Mount Ararat from Armenia’s official entry and exit border stamp starting November 1, 2025. Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Arsen Torosyan, also a member of the ruling Civil Contract party board, explained that the stamps were updated to meet modern border control requirements and align with the “Real Armenia” ideological concept.
