Turkish FM Fidan meets Georgian, Azerbaijani counterparts in Istanbul

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met separately with his Georgian and Azerbaijani counterparts in Istanbul on Monday, diplomatic sources said. Fidan held talks with Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov on the sidelines of a trilateral meeting of the three countries’ foreign ministers. No further details of the meetings were immediately provided.

Regional context

The trilateral Türkiye-Azerbaijan-Georgia format focuses on cooperation in energy, transportation, and regional security. The three countries are key partners in the Middle Corridor, a trade route connecting Central Asia to Europe via the Caspian Sea and the South Caucasus. The meetings come amid heightened regional tensions following the US-Israeli war on Iran, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the South Caucasus (Armenia-Azerbaijan tensions). Türkiye has been mediating between Azerbaijan and Armenia, while also maintaining close ties with Georgia.

Türkiye’s role

For Türkiye, strengthening ties with Georgia and Azerbaijan is strategically important for energy security (the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline pass through all three countries). Ankara also sees the trilateral format as a counterbalance to Russian influence in the South Caucasus. Fidan’s meetings likely covered economic cooperation, regional stability, and coordination on international platforms. Turkish officials have previously stated that they aim to increase trade with Georgia and Azerbaijan to $5 billion and $15 billion respectively.