UPDATE - Erdogan attends wreath-laying ceremony at key monument in Turkmen capital

UPDATES WITH PHOTO SESSION

By Zafer Fatih Beyaz and Seda Sevencan

ASHGABAT/ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended on Friday a wreath-laying ceremony at Turkmenistan’s Neutrality Monument, as world leaders gathered in Ashgabat for the International Peace and Trust Forum.

Erdogan joined several invited heads of state and government at the ceremony, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Erdogan later attended a family photo session after an official welcoming ceremony at the venue of the forum.

The leaders will attend the event's opening session later in the day.

The Turkish president will address participants at the plenary session titled “Peace and Trust: Unity of Goals for a Sustainable Future.”

The forum in Ashgabat is being held to mark the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s status of permanent neutrality and the designation of 2025 as the “International Year of Peace and Trust” by the UN General Assembly.