Turkish president heads to Azerbaijan for opening of airport

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan departed Thursday for Azerbaijan to attend the inauguration ceremony of a new airport in an area liberated from Armenian occupation.

Erdogan will be the first head of state to land at the Zangilan International Airport, Azerbaijan’s second airport in territories reclaimed from Armenia during the 2020 Karabakh conflict.

In October 2021, Erdogan joined his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev in the official opening of the Fuzuli International Airport.

During the visit, the presidents will also break ground for new projects for the development of the region.

Later, Erdogan and Aliyev will hold talks to discuss bilateral relations and steps to enhance cooperation. They will also exchange views on current regional and global developments.

Earlier this month, Erdogan, Aliyev, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a brief conversation ahead of the European Political Community summit in the Czech Republic’s capital Prague.

Following the meeting, Erdogan said Ankara wants to improve ties between the three countries and resolve outstanding issues as soon as possible.​​​​​​​