Erdoğan meets Aliyev at SCO summit as Putin talks draw attention

By Ahmet Taş | Wise News Press

BISHKEK, KYRGYZSTAN — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan began a series of diplomatic meetings at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek with talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

The two leaders discussed Türkiye-Azerbaijan relations as well as regional and global developments, with Erdoğan reiterating Ankara’s support for peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Attention at the summit is also turning to a possible meeting between Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the war in Ukraine expected to feature prominently if talks take place.

Erdoğan begins summit diplomacy in Bishkek

Erdoğan travelled to Kyrgyzstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit at the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.

Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications said the president would visit Bishkek on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, address an expanded session of the summit and hold bilateral meetings with participating leaders.

After meeting Aliyev at his hotel, Erdoğan travelled to the Yrys Ordo Congress Hall, where Japarov welcomed him before the summit session.

Erdoğan also joined other participating leaders for the traditional family photograph. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon stood to his right and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to his left, according to the Turkish presidency.

The Bishkek gathering has brought together leaders from across Eurasia, including Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials.

Erdoğan and Aliyev discuss bilateral cooperation

During their meeting, Erdoğan and Aliyev reviewed political and economic ties between Türkiye and Azerbaijan alongside regional and international issues.

According to Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications, Erdoğan highlighted cooperation in energy, infrastructure and transportation, saying the importance of joint projects had become even clearer amid changing regional conditions.

The Turkish president said deepening relations in line with the longstanding “two states, one nation” approach would benefit both countries.

Energy and transport links have long been central to the strategic relationship between Ankara and Baku, connecting the South Caucasus with Türkiye and European markets.

The discussions in Bishkek therefore covered not only traditional political cooperation but also the infrastructure and economic links underpinning the bilateral relationship.

Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process on the agenda

A major topic in the Erdoğan-Aliyev meeting was the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Erdoğan said Türkiye would continue contributing to efforts to secure a lasting settlement between the two South Caucasus neighbors.

The Turkish presidency quoted Erdoğan as saying that peace would provide a new source of vitality for the wider region.

Ankara has consistently maintained close strategic ties with Azerbaijan while also supporting steps toward normalization and a permanent settlement between Baku and Yerevan.

A comprehensive peace agreement could affect regional trade routes, transportation corridors and economic integration across the South Caucasus.

Erdoğan’s remarks in Bishkek signaled that Türkiye intends to remain involved diplomatically as Azerbaijan and Armenia continue efforts toward normalization.

Aliyev invited to COP31 in Antalya

Erdoğan also invited President Aliyev to attend the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, according to the Directorate of Communications.

The invitation came during a meeting in which energy and infrastructure cooperation featured prominently.

Climate diplomacy is increasingly connected with energy policy, transport networks and investment strategies, all areas in which Türkiye and Azerbaijan have developed significant bilateral cooperation.

No further details were immediately announced regarding Aliyev’s participation at COP31, but the invitation was specifically included in the Turkish presidency’s official account of the Bishkek meeting.

Erdoğan is due to address the SCO summit

Erdoğan is scheduled to address the expanded summit session during his visit.

Türkiye is not a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation but has maintained relations with the organization as a dialogue partner.

The SCO meeting provides Erdoğan with an opportunity for bilateral diplomacy alongside the formal multilateral discussions.

Regional security, economic cooperation and geopolitical developments are expected to feature across the summit agenda.

The meeting comes at a time when the war in Ukraine, instability in the Middle East and security concerns across Central and South Asia remain major issues for many of the participating governments.

The significance of the summit extends beyond formal SCO business because leaders frequently use such gatherings for separate meetings on conflicts and bilateral relations.

Attention turns to possible Erdoğan-Putin meeting

One of the most closely watched possible meetings in Bishkek is between Erdoğan and Putin.

The original Turkish media report said the two leaders were expected to hold talks, with diplomatic efforts concerning the Russia-Ukraine war likely to be discussed.

As of the latest official Turkish communications reviewed by Wise News Press, a bilateral Erdoğan-Putin meeting in Bishkek had not yet been formally announced or detailed, so any agenda remains prospective rather than confirmed.

Putin is in Bishkek and has already held talks with other leaders. Modi told the Russian president that the war in Ukraine should end and reiterated India’s support for peace efforts during their meeting.

Türkiye has maintained diplomatic channels with both Moscow and Kyiv since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has repeatedly presented itself as a potential facilitator of negotiations.

If Erdoğan and Putin meet, the war and possible diplomatic initiatives are therefore expected to be among the issues attracting international attention.

Bishkek becomes a hub for regional diplomacy

The SCO summit has turned Bishkek into a major diplomatic gathering, bringing together leaders with differing positions on the war in Ukraine and other international crises.

Erdoğan’s first confirmed bilateral meeting focused on Azerbaijan, Türkiye’s close regional ally, and on prospects for peace in the South Caucasus.

His wider summit program includes an address to participating leaders and additional bilateral contacts.

Erdoğan and First Lady Emine Erdoğan had already joined other international leaders in Bishkek for the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games before the summit meetings began.

The coming bilateral meetings will determine whether the Bishkek visit produces new diplomatic initiatives beyond Türkiye-Azerbaijan cooperation.

For Ankara, the summit combines several foreign-policy priorities: strengthening ties across Central Asia and the Caucasus, supporting an Azerbaijan-Armenia settlement and maintaining dialogue with major Eurasian powers at a time of continuing geopolitical tension.

WiseNewsPress.com