Turkish President Recep Erdogan has arrived in Azerbaijan to participate in the 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), a key regional forum aimed at enhancing economic ties among member states.
The summit is being held in the city of Khankendi, located in the Karabakh region.
Erdogan on Friday first landed in Fuzuli before travelling to the host city.
He is accompanied by several high-level Turkish officials, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Trade Minister Omer Bolat, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu, and Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Ozdemir Göktas.
Erdogan is expected to deliver a speech at the summit, where leaders from the 10-member ECO bloc will discuss strengthening cooperation in trade, energy, transport, and other key sectors.
A strategic platform
The ECO, founded in 1985 by Türkiye, Iran, and Pakistan, has grown into a broader regional organisation with Central Asian and South Caucasus countries joining after the Soviet Union's collapse.
Its summits serve as a platform to promote economic integration, regional connectivity, and political dialogue.
This year’s meeting comes at a time of heightened geopolitical focus on the South Caucasus, particularly following Azerbaijan’s full restoration of control over Karabakh last year after decades of conflict with Armenia.
Türkiye, a close ally of Azerbaijan, has supported Baku in its post-conflict development efforts and in expanding transport corridors that link Asia and Europe, including via the Middle Corridor project.
Erdogan’s participation underscores Ankara’s continued commitment to regional cooperation and its deepening strategic partnership with Azerbaijan.
