President Erdoğan addresses journalists’ questions on return flight from Azerbaijan
President Erdoğan answered journalists' questions on the return flight to Türkiye following his official visit to Azerbaijan.
President Erdoğan, reflecting on his participation in the 17th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, remarked that the ECO, of which Türkiye is a founding member, has developed into a regional platform serving a population of over half a billion across a geographical area of 8 million square kilometres since its inception in 1985.
Emphasising the organisation's commitment to enhancing cooperation in a region of significant geostrategic importance and considerable potential, President Erdoğan stated, "At the same time, it also upholds the common values shared by its members and the bonds of ancient brotherhood. Our country is home to the organisations affiliated with ECO, including the Trade and Development Bank, the Education Institute, and the Regional Coordination Centre for Food Security. As you know, the overarching theme of the summit is "New ECO Vision for a Sustainable and Climate Resilient Future." This is entirely appropriate, as the regions in which our organisation is located are among the most severely impacted by the climate crisis. The summit served as a forum for exchanging perspectives on green transformation, energy resource efficiency, sustainability, and climate change."
Pointing out that there was also a discussion at the summit about how to make the organisation more effective, President Erdoğan continued:
"We have put forth a few suggestions on this matter. To this end, we evaluated the measures intended to enhance the functioning of our organisation, particularly in relation to trade, connectivity, economic integration, and the efficient use of energy resources. We strive for the organisation to transition to a results-oriented and project-focused structure, all the while preserving its core mission, thus promoting economic and commercial collaboration among its members. It appeared that there was also a consensus regarding this issue. We engaged in discussions to establish the framework of the 2035 Vision Document, which is intended to steer the organisation's transformation accordingly. As member countries, we also assessed the outcomes of the labour, women, and youth forums that took place immediately prior to the summit."
"ECO Tourism Capital for 2025: Erzurum"
President Erdoğan highlighted that enhancing tourism collaboration within the organisation is a priority, noting, "As you are aware, we are actively engaged in various efforts in Erzurum, which has been designated as the 2025 Tourism Capital of the Economic Cooperation Organisation. We have organised and are currently organising nearly 50 events within this framework, including the Winter Games, the Palandöken Economic Forum, and the Gastronomy Festival. Allah willing, we will carry on our joint efforts to promote tourism cooperation in Shusha, which is chosen as the 2026 tourism capital."
President Erdoğan highlighted that, as part of the summit, the situation in Iran and Gaza was assessed within the framework of regional developments and considering Israel's aggressive stance, saying:
"In this context, we engaged in discussions with President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran. As Türkiye, I reaffirmed to him our readiness to do whatever it takes to turn the current de facto ceasefire into a lasting peace. Once again, I extended my condolences for our brothers who lost their lives in Israel's bandit-like attacks. I will continue to stay in touch with him regarding the developments. We also held detailed discussions with my brother Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan, and my dear friend Shehbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan. We had sincere conversations with the leaders of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Of course, the holding of the summit in Khankendi, liberated by Azerbaijan, and the representation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus at the summit as an observer by its President, Mr Ersin Tatar, carried special significance for us. As you are aware, we recently visited Lachin on the occasion of Azerbaijan's Independence Day and, together with my brother, Ilham Aliyev, inaugurated the city airport. This time in Khankendi, we once again demonstrated our solidarity with Azerbaijan by voicing our stance and messages in support of peace, stability, and development. "I hope this visit will deepen our ties with the member countries of the Economic Cooperation Organisation and further strengthen our bond of brotherhood."
"We advocate the 'win-win' thesis in this area as well"
In response to a press member's question, "US President Donald Trump has decided to increase tariffs around the world. This situation prompted countries to raise their tariffs reciprocally, leading to an increase in regional collaborations. On this note, as the Economic Cooperation Organisation, were new decisions made at this summit to enhance economic cooperation among member countries during this period?" President Erdoğan responded:
"First of all, as one of the founding members of the Economic Cooperation Organisation, we view this platform not only as an economic instrument but also as a geopolitical one. One of our organisation's goals is to contribute to the development of its member countries. Cooperation is crucial for collective development and success. Especially amid rising trade costs and risks, enhancing this cooperation is vital. At the summit in Khankendi, I emphasised that regional collaborations will provide a stronger foundation for economic growth. We have consistently advocated for assessing and creating new cooperation opportunities within the Economic Cooperation Organisation and across all platforms on which we participate, and we continue to do so. Among the Economic Cooperation Organisation's recent goals, we have strongly supported and continue to support initiatives like trade liberalisation, logistics infrastructure integration, and customs simplification. In addition to these, we aim to boost our trade volume with members like Central Asian countries, Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, while also strengthening regional resilience through alternative financial models. Balances in the world are now changing very rapidly. Managing this dynamic process skilfully and adapting to change is also important. You'd be the one to lose if you fail to adapt your commercial activities and partnerships to changing conditions. We work to ensure that our friends win alongside us. In other words, we advocate, and will continue to advocate, the 'win-win' thesis in this area as well."
