Efe Özkan
29 May 2025•Update: 29 May 2025
ISTANBUL
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has emphasized that partnership between Türkiye and Azerbaijan is a beacon for all “brotherly countries” within the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).
Speaking to journalists on his return flight back from Azerbaijan on Thursday, Erdogan thanked Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the Azerbaijani people for their hospitality during his visit to commemorate the country’s Independence Day on May 28.
“Türkiye and Azerbaijan are developing partnerships in many areas, and we consider defense, energy, agriculture, and livestock farming to be strategic areas. Now, we want to establish even closer cooperation with Azerbaijan on food supply security,” Erdogan said.
He said this deepening of ties is a beacon for “our other brotherly countries that are members of the Organization of Turkic States. We will give priority to our brotherly countries in products where we have surplus supply. Together, we will produce more, share more, and walk more firmly toward tomorrow.”
Asked about the Zangezur Corridor and the impact Iran could have on the connectivity between Türkiye and Azerbaijan, Erdogan said they expect Tehran to support steps that will contribute to peace, stability and development in the region.
“The Zangezur Corridor is not only a land connection between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan, but also a new integration route extending to the Turkic world via Türkiye,” he said.
Restarting the Istanbul peace process
The Turkish president welcomed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s proposal of holding peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul again. First direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv in three years were held in the Turkish metropolis earlier this month.
“Lavrov said Russia wanted the second round of talks with Ukraine to be held in Istanbul. This would allow the Istanbul peace process to start again,” Erdogan said.
He said the “Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov's statement should not be taken lightly, it has further increased our hopes for peace.”
“We continue to strive for peace, and we will continue to do so. We are in contact with both Russia and Ukraine. We see the momentum we have gained as an opportunity for lasting peace. In every meeting, we remind all our counterparts that this opportunity must not be missed,” Erdogan said.
‘Syria’s territorial integrity and national unity must be preserved’
About his evaluations on the ongoing integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces terror group with the new government in Damascus, Erdogan reiterated his calls that “Syria’s territorial integrity and national unity must be preserved.”
“We have previously said that we welcome the agreement reached. We see that Syrian Democratic Forces are still resorting to delaying tactics, and they must stop doing so. We are closely monitoring the implementation of the decisions taken,” he added.
Exploration in Pakistan
The Turkish president also announced that “Turkish Petroleum has agreed to explore two onshore fields in Pakistan.”
Erdogan said an agreement had also been reached on offshore exploration for natural gas, which will begin shortly.
