After the election, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan intensified his international engagements, consistently placing the Gaza situation on the agenda during meetings with world leaders since October, coinciding with Israel's attacks on Gaza. Following the seismic events centered in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, Erdoğan focused extensively on the region, hosting numerous foreign leaders throughout the year.
In terms of foreign visits, Erdoğan, who assumed the presidency again after the second round of elections in May, embarked on his initial overseas trips to TRNC and Azerbaijan on June 12. Over the course of his foreign visits, he participated in seven summits and made five foreign trips in July alone. Notable stops included Vilnius on July 10, where he attended the NATO Heads of State and Government Summit, and a tour of Gulf countries (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates) on July 17-18-19. He revisited TRNC on July 20.
Further international engagements included a visit to Hungary on August 20 for the Hungarian State Foundation Day celebrations and participation in some events of the World Athletics Championship hosted by Hungary. On September 4, Erdoğan accepted an invitation from Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin, undertaking a one-day working visit to Sochi. Subsequently, he attended the G20 Leaders Summit in India on September 8 and the 78th General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) in New York from September 16 to 20.
On September 25, Erdoğan, responding to an invitation from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, paid a one-day working visit to Nakhchivan.
PEACE DIPLOMACY FOR PALESTINE
Engaging in robust peace diplomacy, President Erdoğan intensified his international outreach in response to Israel's attacks on Gaza, which commenced on October 7. Consistently placing Gaza at the forefront of discussions in every meeting with global leaders, Erdoğan played a pivotal role in advocating for peace.
In a series of visits during November, Erdoğan attended the 10th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Kazakhstan on November 2. Addressing the summit, he emphasized the importance of unity among the Turkish world to facilitate a ceasefire and pave the way for lasting peace. During the 16th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan on November 8, Erdoğan condemned Israel's actions, stating that the Israeli administration, with the support of Western countries, had violated fundamental human values.
Participating in the Extraordinary Joint Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League in Riyadh on November 11, Erdoğan underscored the Islamic world's responsibility to support Palestinian brothers and proposed the establishment of a fund within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to aid Gaza.
A one-day working visit to Germany on November 17 saw Erdoğan emphasizing the need for a free and unrestricted dialogue on the Israel-Palestine conflict. He highlighted Türkiye's independence of expression, stating that they did not owe Israel a debt and could speak freely on the matter.
Continuing his international engagements, Erdoğan visited Algeria on November 21, where he condemned Israeli attacks, labeling them as collective punishment and war crimes. He emphasized the urgency of establishing a permanent ceasefire and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Attending the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in the United Arab Emirates on November 30, Erdoğan focused on discussions related to Israel's attacks on Palestinian lands and Türkiye's humanitarian efforts for peace.
In December, Erdoğan maintained his diplomatic efforts, visiting Qatar on December 4-5 for the Ninth Meeting of the High Strategic Committee between Türkiye and Qatar. The agenda included discussions on ongoing initiatives for peace, with an emphasis on the situation in Gaza.
FIRST VISIT AFTER 6 YEARS
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan marked a significant diplomatic milestone by visiting Greece on December 7, coinciding with the fifth meeting of the Turkey-Greece High Level Cooperation Council, the first of its kind in six years.
Concluding the year, Erdoğan's final foreign engagement took him to Hungary on December 18 for the sixth meeting of the Turkey-Hungary High Level Strategic Cooperation Council.
In addition to attending seven international summits, Erdoğan played a key role in hosting the Extraordinary Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (TDT) on March 16. Furthermore, he actively participated in the G20 Leaders Summit, held online on November 22 via video conference, showcasing his commitment to international collaboration and diplomacy throughout the year.
TELEPHONE DIPLOMACY
In addition to his diplomatic visits, Erdoğan actively pursued peace diplomacy for Gaza through extensive phone calls with leaders of various countries, with a particular focus on those in the region.
Erdoğan engaged in discussions with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, U.S. President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Lebanese Prime Minister Necip Mikati, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Jordanian King Abdullah II, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Iranian President Ibrahim Reisi.
These conversations were centered around finding a viable solution to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, showcasing Erdoğan's commitment to fostering peace in the region through diplomatic channels.
PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN'S INAUGURATION CEREMONY
After President Erdoğan's re-election, a multitude of global leaders gathered in Türkiye for the inauguration ceremony on June 3.
The event saw the presence of distinguished figures such as Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba, Guinea Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Montenegrin President Yakov Milatovic, Kazakhstan President Kasım Cömert Tokayev, Kyrgyz Republic President Sadır Caparov, Congo President Denis Sassou N'Guesso, Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, TRNC President Ersin Tatar, North Macedonia President Stevo Pendarovski, Uzbekistan President Shavket Mirziyoyev, Rwanda President Paul Kagame, Senegal President Macky Sall, Somali President Hasan Şeyh Mahmud, Togo President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, Bangladesh President Muhammad Shahabuddin Chuppu, Guinea President Mamady Doumbouya, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dibeybe.
The ceremony also witnessed the attendance of key figures such as Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States Kubanychbek Ömuraliyev, Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Huseyin Ibrahim Taha, Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Viktorovich Volodin, Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China Ding Zhongli, Presidential Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina President Jelka Sviyanovic, Council Members Jelko Komşiç and Denis Beçirovic, Bosnia and Herzegovina Serb Entity President Milorad Dodik, former German President Christian Wulff, former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, former TRNC President Derviş Eroğlu, former Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidential Council member Bakir Izetbegovic, and former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt.
Throughout the year, President Erdoğan engaged in diplomatic meetings, hosting United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in June. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Algerian Democratic People's Republic President Abdulmecid Tebbun, and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas were among the leaders hosted in July.
In September, Erdoğan welcomed Sudanese Sovereignty Council President General Abdülfettah al-Burhan and the United Kingdom's Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh. The following month, Serbian Member of the Presidency Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zeljka Cvijanovic, along with Milorad Dodik, President of the Republika Srpska (RS), Austrian Prime Minister Karl Nehammer, Union of Comoros President Assoumani Azali, Malaysian Prime Minister Enver Ibrahim, Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, and Federal Republic of Somalia President Hasan Sheikh Mahmud visited.
In November, Erdoğan met with Lebanese Prime Minister Necib Mikati, and in December, he engaged with Maldives President Mohammed Muizzu, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu.
