Turkish President Erdogan departs from New York after wrapping up UN event

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan departed New York on Wednesday after concluding a four-day visit.

Erdogan, along with first lady Emine Erdogan, arrived in New York on Sunday to attend the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

On Monday, Erdogan met with several world leaders, including his Vietnamese counterpart To Lam, as well as Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

On Tuesday, the president addressed the UN General Assembly, where he voiced solidarity with Palestine.

“I wish to reiterate that even though Mr. Abbas cannot be present here in person, we will, just as we did last year, continue to serve as the voice of the free and sovereign State of Palestine and to proclaim the struggle of the Palestinian people to the world from this podium,” Erdogan said, referring to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

He further called on all countries that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine to reconsider their decision.

On Wednesday, Erdogan addressed a high-level climate meeting convened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the General Assembly meeting.

Türkiye will host the UN Climate Change Conference, or COP31, in Antalya from Nov. 9-20, with efforts underway to make the summit an event where decisions on climate change are translated into action, Erdogan said.

The president also held sideline talks with his counterparts, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to discuss bilateral relations and regional and global issues.

Erdogan also attend a number of events with representatives of Turkish citizens residing in the US, members of the Turkish-American business community and think-tank representatives.