Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and newly elected Iranian President Mesoud Pezeshkian held a bilateral meeting on Friday on the sidelines of the 17th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit in Khankendi, Azerbaijan.

The closed-door meeting between the two leaders comes amid heightened regional tensions and ongoing efforts to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties between ECO member states. Details of the discussions were not immediately disclosed.

The summit is being hosted in Khankendi, formerly the capital of the Armenian-backed regime in the Karabakh region, which Azerbaijan regained in 2023. The choice of location carries strong symbolic value for Baku, marking a new era of regional influence and post-conflict reconstruction.

In his address to the summit, President Erdoğan emphasized Türkiye’s diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions between Iran and Israel, reiterating Ankara’s commitment to preventing the conflict from engulfing the wider region.

The summit’s central theme, “A New Economic Cooperation Organization Vision for a Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Future,” focuses on enhancing trade, investment, transportation, and climate cooperation among member states.

Founded in 1985 by Türkiye, Iran, and Pakistan, the Economic Cooperation Organization has since expanded to include Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) participates as an observer member.

The summit continues with sessions addressing pressing economic and environmental issues across the ECO region, alongside bilateral meetings between member state leaders. (ILKHA)