FM Fidan holds talks with Azerbaijani, Sri Lankan counterparts

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held separate talks with his Azerbaijani and Sri Lankan counterparts on the sidelines of the seventh summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku.

Fidan met with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov as part of the summit, Turkish diplomatic sources said.

The Turkish foreign minister also held a separate meeting with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath during the gathering.

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters after the summit, Fidan stressed that the strategic nature of Türkiye-Azerbaijan relations transcends any differences between the two countries, warning against attempts to undermine their longstanding ties through misinformation.

Fidan said the principle of “one nation, two states” remained central to bilateral relations, emphasizing that the bond between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had been tested during wars and crises.

“Regardless of the circumstances, the strategic nature of Türkiye-Azerbaijan relations stands above all other issues,” Fidan said, adding that occasional differences in perspectives were natural and should be resolved through dialogue rather than social media campaigns.

He also warned that misinformation and artificially inflated disputes could damage public perceptions of bilateral ties, stressing that Ankara and Baku remained committed to preserving their strategic partnership.

Turning to the Russia-Ukraine war, Fidan said Türkiye continued diplomatic efforts to prevent the conflict from further threatening security and commercial shipping in the Black Sea.

He said Ankara had presented proposals to both Moscow and Kyiv aimed at safeguarding maritime navigation and had discussed the issue with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Fidan warned that disruptions to Black Sea shipping were affecting global food and energy markets, particularly wheat supplies to African countries, while restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb were adding pressure to international trade.

“Maritime safety in the Black Sea is critically important,” he said, stressing that Türkiye would continue working toward a solution to protect trade routes and ease the economic impact on developing countries.