GABALA, Azerbaijan / ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived Tuesday in the Azerbaijani city of Gabala aboard the presidential aircraft to attend the 12th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).

Erdogan was welcomed at Gabala International Airport by Azerbaijani Science and Education Minister Emin Amrullayev, Gabala Governor Sebuhi Abdullayev, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Türkiye Rashad Mammadov, and Türkiye’s Ambassador to Baku Birol Akgun.

Accompanying Erdogan on his trip are Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, Trade Minister Omer Bolat, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Justice and Development (AK) Party Deputy Chair Hayati Yazici, AK Party Deputy Chair and relations with Turkic states chief Kursad Zorlu, AK Party Deputy Chair and health policies chief Halit Yerebakan, AK Party Deputy Parliamentary Group Chair Leyla Sahin Usta, Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, Presidential Chief Foreign Policy and Security Adviser Akif Cagatay Kilic, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Secretary-General Ismet Buyukataman, Türkiye-Azerbaijan Interparliamentary Friendship Group Chair Samil Ayrim, and AK Party Istanbul Deputy Derya Ayaydin.

Upon his arrival, Erdogan and his delegation proceeded to the Heydar Aliyev Congress Center, where the summit is being held.

The president is expected to address participants during the summit, held under the theme “Regional Peace and Security,” and also attend an official dinner hosted by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.