ISTANBUL/ANKARA 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday noted China's awareness of Türkiye's regional importance and influence, adding that Ankara is making efforts to strengthen ties with Beijing.

"We are striving to develop our relations with China," he said on his return flight from Tianjin, China, where he attended a two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Heads of State Summit.

Stressing that they are exploring opportunities for cooperation in many areas, from economic relations and digital technologies to energy and health, he said: "We don't view the world solely along an East-West axis.”

He underscored Ankara's consistent emphasis on the need to build new bridges – not divides – between East and West, adding that Türkiye defends its people-centered policies on every platform.

"We believe in the importance of keeping channels of dialogue open. We believe that a just and prosperous world can be built. Indeed, when we say 'a fairer world is possible,' we have always insisted on this principle, and we continue to do so," Erdogan highlighted.

He also expressed Ankara's expectation for China to support these efforts.  

Efforts to end Russia-Ukraine War

On last month’s Alaska summit between the US and Russian leaders, the Turkish president said that these talks are reasonable, stressing that only peace-oriented dialogue can end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Erdogan said that in his bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, they discussed steps to end the war with just peace. Energy cooperation was also discussed during the meeting, he added.

Emphasizing that he and Putin also discussed the Alaska summit, the Turkish president said he also received his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy's perspective during their phone conversations.

Erdogan added that he finds the approaches of both Putin and Zelenskyy positive.

Ankara has, from the beginning, underlined that the Russia-Ukraine war can be resolved via negotiations, Erdogan said, adding: "Talks in Istanbul proved that this path is open."

Erdogan also urged turning the hopes for a Russia-Ukraine peace into "solution-oriented approach and tangible results," stressing leadership-level involvement in the process.

Stressing that Ankara has held talks with the parties of the war and is in constant contact with Putin, Zelenskyy, and European leaders, he said Türkiye has developed and strengthened the basis for dialogue through direct negotiations in Istanbul.

"We achieved concrete outcomes with the grain corridor and prisoner swaps. This is, in fact, the most correct approach. We have no plans to abandon this.

"I always keep the grain corridor and prisoner swap issues on the agenda in every meeting I have with Mr. Putin, and I will continue to do so. Our hope is to achieve a result from this," Erdogan stated.

A just and lasting peace will come by strengthening the negotiating platform without excluding either side, he said, emphasizing that Türkiye has set an example since the very start of the war, having been able to meet with both sides and earning their trust.

"If we all prioritize negotiation over conflict, peace over war, we will fully open the window of opportunity," he underlined.  

Zangezur Corridor, Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization

Thanks to the upcoming Zangezur Corridor between Azerbaijan and its exclave Nakhchivan, peace will activate road, rail networks in the region, open border gates, and positively affect trade and many other sectors, President Erdogan said on the latest agreement signed between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

New opportunities for cooperation will also positively impact regional countries, he underlined.

The signing of the agreement accelerated the normalization process Azerbaijan and Armenia, he said.

The separate meetings with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan showed that they are on the same page, said Erdogan.

"There are no problems or differences over the Zangezur Corridor issue," he added.