Turkish, Azerbaijani presidents meet in Astana to discuss bilateral relations, Israel-Palestine conflict

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday met his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev in Kazakhstan's capital Astana, and the two discussed bilateral relations, regional and global issues, and the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, Türkiye's Communications Directorate said.

Erdogan said Türkiye's humanitarian aid efforts will continue to increase, and emphasized the need for the international community to send strong messages to ensure Israel's compliance with international law.

Permanent peace in the region is achievable only after the establishment of a geographically integrated and independent state of Palestine within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, he added.

The meeting also addressed Türkiye-Armenia normalization process, and the current situation regarding the post-conflict process between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The Turkish president is in Astana to attend Friday's summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).

The OTS, formerly called the Turkic Council, was established in 2009 as an intergovernmental organization made up of prominent independent Turkic countries that work together to elevate relations and union among themselves.

Its members are Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, while Hungary, Turkmenistan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus have observer status.