Erdogan and Aliyev discussed situation in Gaza

The situation in Gaza was one of the topics of discussion at the meeting of the Presidents of Turkey and Azerbaijan, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ilham Aliyev, on June 10 in Ankara.

According to a statement from the Turkish Presidential administration, the parties "discussed the massacres committed by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip." Erdogan stressed that "the genocide committed by Israel in the Palestinian territories, especially in the Gaza Strip, threatens not only regional but also global security." The Turkish head of state emphasized that "the path to a sustainable Middle East settlement lies through the creation of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital." According to him, "in order to achieve this goal, the international community must put pressure on Israel." The sides also exchanged views on the progress of reconstruction work in the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation. Erdogan emphasized that Ankara is monitoring the process of withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping forces from the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. He expressed satisfaction with the decision of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan to establish an Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The Turkish leader also noted that the invitation of TRNC President Ersin Tatar to the summit of the Organization of Turkic States, which will be held in the Azerbaijani city of Shusha in July, will contribute to the settlement of the Cyprus problem. The Turkish President thanked his Azerbaijani counterpart for the invitation to COP29 in Baku. He assured that Turkey will provide full support to Azerbaijan in the process of preparing for the forum. In turn, the Azerbaijani side's message notes that Aliyev and Erdogan discussed issues of expanding energy, transport, economic, and trade ties between the two countries. In addition, issues of cooperation in the defense, military-industrial and other spheres were discussed. Beyond that, the expansion of the capabilities of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was particularly noted, and the importance of joint activities between the two countries on the development of the Middle Corridor was emphasized. The importance of further development of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) and cooperation between the two fraternal countries and the importance of the upcoming informal OTS summit in Shusha was emphasized as well.

The sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues.--