Speaking at a joint news conference with Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in Baku on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the Ukraine-Russia conflict spreading into Black Sea threatened the safety of Turkish citizens, describing the situation as unacceptable.

Fidan said they discussed how the Russia-Ukraine conflict affected the broader region in his talks with Bayramov, noting that the civilian casualties and devastation were growing in the conflict that has continued for more than four years.

Underlining that the escalation of the war has also seriously affected the Black Sea basin, Fidan recalled that they had made major efforts since the beginning of the crisis to keep the Black Sea outside the conflict.

Fidan noted that they had succeeded in this objective until recently by meticulously implementing the Montreux Convention and launching the Black Sea Grain Initiative. "However, the increasing attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea in recent months have seriously undermined the security of life, property, navigation and the environment in the region. Unfortunately, Turkish and Azerbaijani sailors have also lost their lives in these attacks. The spread of the war into the Black Sea and the threat it poses to the lives of our citizens and the operations of our companies is not an acceptable situation,” he added.

Fidan also said they had issued the necessary warnings to the parties on the matter, adding that they believed common ground for an agreement could be found if the necessary political will was demonstrated and the parties acted in good faith.

Fidan said they had recently stepped up their efforts to reach an agreement and were also taking the necessary initiatives to bring the war to an end.

Referring to President Erdoğan’s oft-repeated statement that "even the worst peace is better than war itself,” Fidan said: "As Türkiye, we will continue to make every effort for peace.”

He said that following talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, the parties had come very close to signing a peace agreement but had failed to finalize it. He said Türkiye had made efforts to bring the two sides together in the country on numerous occasions, both publicly and behind closed doors. Underlining that the continuation of the war was harming not only the region but also the global economy, Fidan recalled that U.S. President Donald Trump had cited the Russia-Ukraine war as the source of rising diesel prices.

Fidan noted that the parties had been asked to reach an understanding on not targeting energy infrastructure and to declare a moratorium, adding that the United Nations, the U.S., Türkiye and several other countries were doing everything they could on the issue.

Fidan said efforts focused particularly on the Black Sea were continuing, adding: "We are holding talks with the parties on this issue, and we have proposals. We have received responses from the parties. We are also working to reconcile these responses and bring them to a point where an understanding can be built.”

Fidan reiterated that the war had transformed over the past year from a war of attrition into a war of destruction, saying: "There is now nowhere that is not being targeted. Except for the deliberate targeting of population centers, virtually all commercial sites, infrastructure and superstructure are now being targeted. We are also seeing civilian casualties steadily increase. As a nation that knows war and warfare, we unfortunately said from the very beginning where this picture would lead.”

Drawing attention to the fact that the situation would intensify geographically, methodologically and in terms of targets, Fidan said: "It needs to stop to prevent further expansion and greater disasters. I think that after four and a half years of war, the parties have also psychologically and intellectually come closer to this point. This is precisely where mediators like us need to find the right magic formulas, words and methods to persuade the parties to reach an agreement.”

Fidan warned that otherwise energy prices, food security and the environment would face greater risks and the danger of the war spreading would increase. "From time to time, there are statements not only in the Black Sea but also in other European countries about the possibility of the war spreading there. God forbid, we do not even want to think about this, let alone talk about it. The geographical expansion of the war is the last thing we want to see,” he said.

Also speaking on the U.S.-Iran war, Fidan said safe and free passage through the Strait of Hormuz should be ensured, and mutual attacks in the Gulf countries should stop.

For his part, Bayramov said Azerbaijan and Türkiye were working in coordination on new projects with great potential for the coming decades. Noting that cooperation between the two countries was expanding into new areas, Bayramov said: "There are new projects with a very broad outlook and great potential for the coming decades. Azerbaijan and Türkiye are working on these projects in very close coordination.” Bayramov said projects in the field of alternative energy were particularly prominent among these initiatives, adding that they had discussed transporting green energy produced in Azerbaijan to Europe via the Black Sea and Türkiye’s participation in the project.

He said projects were also on the agenda to lay a new power cable through Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye and Bulgaria, as well as a new power cable connecting Nakhchivan to Türkiye. "With the implementation of these projects, new routes with great potential will emerge for delivering alternative energy to not only the markets of Azerbaijan and Türkiye, with the participation of both countries in the green energy sector, but also to the European market through Türkiye.”

Bayramov recalled that the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) summit would be held in Türkiye next month and said he and Fidan had held productive talks as part of preparations for the summit. Noting that the OTS was of particular importance to Azerbaijan and Türkiye, Bayramov said the organization had a family structure that brought brotherly countries together. "Strengthening solidarity within the OTS and further improving coordination have always been of particular importance to Azerbaijan and Türkiye,” Bayramov said.

Expressing Azerbaijan’s full support for Türkiye, which will host COP31, as the host of COP29, Bayramov said the Azerbaijani delegation that took part in COP29 and has since been active in climate diplomacy would participate in COP31 in the most active manner. Bayramov said the Zangezur Corridor was of particular importance as a new route of the Middle Corridor connecting Azerbaijan to Türkiye and, through Türkiye, Europe to Central Asia and Asia. He said construction of new transportation infrastructure in mainland Azerbaijan was progressing rapidly. Bayramov said road construction toward the Armenian border was about 95% complete, while railway construction was about 75% complete, adding that both projects were expected to be completed in the first half of 2027. Noting that the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic has about 190 kilometers of railway connections, Bayramov said the Soviet-era railway line had been almost unused for more than 30 years and that reconstruction work in the area had begun. Bayramov said the approximately 42-kilometer section of the Zangezur Corridor located in Armenian territory constituted the missing link of the route, adding that talks concerning this section were being conducted between the U.S. and Armenia.

Bayramov said completion of the project would establish a direct connection between mainland Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan through Armenia, adding that access via Nakhchivan to Türkiye and from there to the transportation link between Europe and Central Asia would be strengthened. Bayramov said this would create a new and important transportation route stretching from Europe to Central Asia via Türkiye and Azerbaijan.

Noting that Azerbaijan had identified relations with African countries as one of its priority areas, Bayramov said the number of trade and economic missions to the continent had been increased, and the number of projects carried out had grown.

Bayramov said Türkiye was one of the countries with the world’s broadest diplomatic and economic networks in Africa, adding: "Africa has great potential. It is possible to implement trilateral projects together in this area. Joint projects can be carried out between Azerbaijan, Türkiye and any African country.”