Turkish president hails strategic partnership with Slovenia

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday hailed the strategic partnership between Türkiye and Slovenia which was established in 2011.

"I believe that our solidarity, which has developed on the basis of friendship, alliance and strategic partnership, will become stronger in every field, including Türkiye's accession process to the European Union," Erdoğan said at a news conference with his Slovenian counterpart Borut Pahor in the capital Ankara.

Erdoğan welcomed Pahor at the presidential complex with an official ceremony. During the closed-door meeting, the leaders discussed bilateral relations, Türkiye's EU membership process, regional and international issues.

"Friendly relations and cooperation between Türkiye and Slovenia make great contributions to regional peace and stability," Erdoğan said.

After the 2016 defeated coup in Türkiye, Slovenia's president was the first EU head of state to visit Ankara in a show of solidarity.

He added that Ankara and Ljubljana have the potential to increase cooperation in the areas of economy and trade. "As NATO allies, Türkiye and Slovenia have common steps to take, especially in the area of defense."

For his part, Pahor said a vast majority of Slovenian people evaluate cooperation with Türkiye "positively".