Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan began his one-on-one talks with other leaders on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, with a meeting with Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday. Erdoğan is scheduled to hold more one-on-one talks on Tuesday, including with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and address the opening session of the SCO Plus meeting that will follow the Council of Heads of State meeting.
The Turkish Presidency’s Communications Directorate said the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and regional and global developments. Erdoğan said at the meeting that the importance of the steps taken by Türkiye and Azerbaijan to enhance cooperation, particularly in the fields of energy, infrastructure and transportation, has become better understood amid the current atmosphere in the region, according to a statement by the directorate. He said that deepening relations in all areas based on the principle of "two states, one nation” would benefit both countries. President Erdoğan stated that Türkiye would continue to contribute to peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia and said that peace between the two countries would provide a vital boost to the region.
During the meeting, Erdoğan also invited Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to the COP31 Summit set to be held in Antalya.
Türkiye and Azerbaijan are close allies, with their relationship strengthened by their shared cultural and ethnic heritage. The two countries also support efforts to normalize relations with neighboring Armenia. Aliyev met Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Monday. According to the Azerbaijani presidency, Aliyev and Pashinyan agreed to continue direct bilateral engagement to advance the normalization of relations and strengthen regional connectivity.
The sides also discussed exports of Azerbaijani petroleum products to Armenia, shipments of grain and other goods through Azerbaijan, as well as steps toward implementing the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP). Aliyev and Pashinyan also noted the important role of their respective state commissions on the delimitation of the Azerbaijan-Armenia border and emphasized the need to continue their work in line with agreements reached between the two countries.
On Aug. 8, 2025, Aliyev and Pashinyan initialed an agreement and, together with U.S. President Donald Trump, signed a joint declaration at a White House summit aimed at ending decades of conflict. The agreement included commitments to cease hostilities, reopen transport routes and normalize relations.
The two South Caucasus neighbors have fought two major wars over Azerbaijan's Karabakh region since the late 1980s.