Turkish foreign minister visits Baku for talks on energy, peace and regional security
Turkish foreign minister visits Baku
During Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s meetings in Baku, the two sides discussed Azerbaijani-Turkish relations, as well as energy and transport projects, the process of normalising relations with Armenia, defence co-operation and the situation in the Middle East. Experts see the visit as an attempt by Baku and Ankara to co-ordinate their positions amid a rapidly changing regional security environment.
On 15 September, Fidan was received by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The Turkish foreign minister conveyed greetings from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while Aliyev asked him to convey his greetings to the Turkish president.
A brief statement on the Azerbaijani president’s official website said the two sides expressed satisfaction with the development of the strategic alliance between Azerbaijan and Turkey, based on the principle of “one nation, two states”.
The meeting was held behind closed doors. A full transcript of the talks was not published, and neither side issued a separate statement.
Energy and new export routes
One of the issues highlighted in the official statement was energy co-operation and the development of new routes for supplying renewable energy to international markets.
Further details emerged later during Fidan’s meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov and at their joint briefing.
Bayramov said the projects discussed included supplying renewable energy generated in Azerbaijan to Europe via the Black Sea, as well as laying a new energy cable linking Nakhchivan with Turkey. Azerbaijan says these projects have significant potential not only for the two countries but also for the European energy market.
Trade between Azerbaijan and Turkey exceeded $3.2bn in the first eight months of 2026. However, this remains well below the $15bn target previously set by the two countries’ presidents.
Middle Corridor and Kars-Dilucu railway
The talks also covered the role of Azerbaijan and Turkey as a logistics bridge between Europe and Asia.
At the joint briefing, Hakan Fidan stressed the importance of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway becoming fully operational. He also said construction of the Kars-Dilucu railway, which will provide Turkey with a rail link to the border with Nakhchivan, was expected to be completed by the end of 2029.
The line is regarded as the Turkish section of a future transport route that will run through Nakhchivan to Azerbaijan and onwards to Central Asia. Fidan said the development of the Middle Corridor was in the interests of Azerbaijan and Turkey, as well as other members of the Organization of Turkic States.
Peace process with Armenia
Following his meeting with Aliyev, Fidan said Turkey was closely following the process of normalising relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia and supported Baku on the issue.
A statement issued after an expanded meeting between the Azerbaijani and Turkish foreign ministers said the two sides discussed progress made in the peace process over the past year and practical steps aimed at developing regional co-operation.
They also discussed security and defence co-operation, their allied relations under the Shusha Declaration, and co-ordination within the UN, OSCE, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and Organization of Turkic States.
The ministers also reaffirmed their shared position that ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and other regions should be resolved through political and diplomatic rather than military means.
How do experts assess the visit?
Turkey expert Mehmet Emin Iqbal Durre said that although the visit had been planned in advance, it had taken on particular significance amid tensions surrounding Syria and Iran, as well as the Russia-Ukraine war.
In his view, Baku and Ankara need to co-ordinate their approaches amid the rapidly changing situation in the region. He sees the Kars-Dilucu railway, energy projects and preparations for the next summit of the Organization of Turkic States as key elements of future regional integration.
Political commentator Chingiz Shahbazi offered a different interpretation. He suggested that growing tensions between Turkey and Israel, particularly over the situation in Gaza and Syria, may have been among the issues discussed behind closed doors.
Shahbazi believes Azerbaijan, which has allied relations with Turkey and strategic relations with Israel, could provide a platform for dialogue between the two countries. However, official statements on the meeting between Aliyev and Fidan make no mention of Turkish-Israeli relations. His interpretation therefore remains speculation.
