UPDATE - Türkiye, Azerbaijan laying foundations of new era in region, says Turkish president

UPDATES WITH MORE QUOTES FROM TURKISH PRESIDENT ERDOGAN

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - Türkiye and Azerbaijan are laying the foundations of a new era in the region, the country's president announced on Saturday.

"With Azerbaijan, we are laying the foundations of a new era in the region. Things will accelerate as Armenia shows progress in peace, security, and tranquility," said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at an event in the eastern province of Erzurum.

He emphasized that Türkiye was preparing for the most important breakthrough in its thousand-year-old history in the region under the vision of the "Century of Türkiye" initiative.

In late October, Erdogan, who is also the chairman of the Justice and Development (AK) Party, unveiled a series of programs, projects, and targets ahead of the next year's presidential and general elections as the country prepares to celebrate its centennial in 2023.

"On the one hand, we are strengthening our relations with the Islamic world. On the other, we are integrating with the Turkic world. Meanwhile, we are uniting with Africa and the Balkans," he said, adding that Ankara has not forgotten of its ties with Russia, China, Ukraine, the US, either.

Noting that the eastern Erzurum province is one of the most critical locations allowing Türkiye to become a hub for oil and natural gas transport and trade from Asia to Europe, Erdogan said Türkiye is "resolving conflicts and tensions in the Caucasus, which are the biggest obstacle to the effective use of the region's potential, one by one."

He affirmed that Türkiye was "working round the clock" to connect the gas it discovered in the Black Sea to its national grid.

"On Monday, we will share the good news with our nation," he said, adding that Türkiye would receive more good news once the Black Sea gas is in use.

Türkiye discovered 540 billion cubic meters (19 trillion cubic feet) of natural gas in the Black Sea. Türkiye's ships, Fatih, Yavuz, and Kanuni, continue drilling operations in the Black Sea.