Türkiye to advance cooperation with Georgia: Erdogan

Talks on UN sidelines

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze at the Turkish House in New York on Monday for closed-door talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, according to Türkiye's Communications Directorate. The two leaders discussed bilateral relations between Türkiye and Georgia as well as regional and global developments during the meeting at the Turkevi Center.

Erdogan expressed satisfaction that Türkiye has served as Georgia's largest trading partner for the past 18 years, the directorate said in a statement. He said Ankara would continue taking steps to further advance cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the areas of trade, transportation and security.

Regional solidarity

Erdogan stressed the importance of maintaining solidarity between Türkiye and Georgia in international forums, noting that making the most effective use of cooperation mechanisms involving Türkiye, Georgia and Azerbaijan would benefit all three countries. The closed-door meeting underscored Ankara's commitment to deepening ties with Tbilisi across multiple sectors.

Strategic partnership

Türkiye recognized the independence of Georgia in 1991, with the Protocol on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations signed the following year. Relations between Ankara and Tbilisi are currently at the strategic partnership level.