Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's recent visit to Türkiye and meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on June 10 in the Turkish capital Ankara holds significant importance amid the current global crises. The cooperation and partnership between Azerbaijan and Türkiye have the potential to impact positively the resolution of ongoing conflicts worldwide.
First, Türkiye has made a name for itself in Eurasia during the last 20 years as a major regional and international actor. Azerbaijan has become a new regional force in recent years, especially after regaining its territorial integrity, chairing the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), sitting on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), and carrying out a number of international megaprojects with success. The two leaders again conveyed their happiness with the robust and fruitful growth of the allied, fraternal and friendly relations between Türkiye and Azerbaijan. Expanding cooperation in energy, transportation, trade, economy, defense and military industries was discussed at the summit. The significance of the Middle Corridor's growth and the extension of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was of particular focus. On the other hand, mutual visits and communication between the two fraternal countries persist at various levels. For instance, in a recent phone conversation, the foreign ministers discussed regional and bilateral alliance matters. Because the strengthening relations between Azerbaijan and Türkiye are vital not only for these two countries, but for regional peace, stability and cooperation and has formulated a regional agenda.
Surely, the two countries' growing relationship has important moral, international, economic and political implications. The political ties between Türkiye and Azerbaijan have developed into a strategic alliance during the previous 25 years. The joint declaration on the formation of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), which was signed on Sept. 15, 2010, in Istanbul, served as confirmation of this. Frequent sessions of the HLSCC have strengthened and extended relations between the two nations in every domain. Additionally, Azerbaijan and Türkiye's trilateral cooperation with Georgia, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and other countries has contributed to regional stability and development. The signing of the Shusha Declaration on June 15, 2021, marked a new phase in relations between the two countries, formalizing the start of a strategic alliance era.
Türkiye and Azerbaijan are major players in important international political and economic initiatives. They have achieved successful results through their coordinated efforts and reciprocal assistance in international and regional organizations such as the U.N., the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). Especially, the rising relationship between Türkiye and Azerbaijan is essential for all Turkic states. Collaborative megaprojects such as the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum, and Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan railways serve not only the two countries but also incorporate several regional and global stakeholders. Numerous noteworthy regional initiatives have been made possible by Azerbaijan's active involvement in trans-regional infrastructure projects and regional economic cooperation in the middle of Eurasia.
At the same time, the economic relationship between the two countries is successfully expanding, with the goal of reaching a trade turnover of $15 billion (TL 485.50 billion). Achieving this milestone is a major objective and represents a significant development in the bilateral relations between the two nations. This target underscores the commitment to deepening economic ties and fostering mutual growth and cooperation. Over 20 Turkish businesses are working on about 50 projects worth about $4 billion, and they are extensively involved in large-scale rehabilitation work in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani entrepreneurs investing in Türkiye lead in terms of both the number of firms and investment volume among Central Asian and Caucasus countries.
Notably, SOCAR Türkiye's STAR Refinery was ranked third in overall product export value in Türkiye and first in the "chemicals and products" category in the 2023 export champions list in recent days. Furthermore, recently, various contracts pertaining to the supply, transit and transportation of natural gas were signed by Türkiye's state-owned Petroleum Pipeline Company (BOTAŞ) and the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) according to the deal on cooperation in the field of natural gas, which the two countries signed on May 14. The agreements include provisions for SOCAR to supply natural gas to Türkiye, deliver Azerbaijani gas to the Bulgarian market via Türkiye, cooperate on gas supply to Nakhchivan and transport Turkmen gas to Türkiye through Azerbaijan and third countries. Thus, a new page has been opened in the energy transportation cooperation field between the two countries encompassing various stakeholders interests from European and Asian markets.
Therefore, Azerbaijan and Türkiye have a tight and strategic partnership that is especially crucial at times of world crises. A combined strategy between the two nations and collaborative initiatives highlight their important roles in the global political and economic arenas. The two countries' solid alliance is highlighted by their mutual support throughout difficult times. As a result, this visit is more important in these times of global crises. Particularly, the resolute and consistent stance of both countries in resolving conflicts in the Middle East and the Eurasian region has garnered them special and profound respect on an international scale over the past period. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the implementation of numerous mega-strategic regional and global projects, sometimes involving parties from opposing poles, under the leadership of both countries has strengthened the positive expectations of regional countries toward their cooperation. Thus, this visit reaffirmed that Türkiye and Azerbaijan are strengthening their strategic advancement within the framework of the OTS, developing large-scale projects like the Southern Gas Corridor and the Middle Corridor, strengthening their economic ties and solidifying their position as one of the dominant forces in regional politics. Surely, a new political and economic agenda serving regional development is designed under the leadership of two countries, as always.
