Erdoğan hosts Azerbaijani president ahead of Europe visit

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed his Azerbaijani counterpart, İlham Aliyev, in the capital Ankara on June 10 ahead of his three-day tour of Europe.

During Aliyev's "working visit," the leaders reviewed bilateral relations, exploring avenues to deepen their cooperation further, according to Erdoğan's office. The discussions were also expected to encompass regional and global issues of mutual interest.

Following the visit, Erdoğan is set to meet with main opposition leader Özgür Özel at the Republican People's Party (CHP) headquarters on June 11. He will then depart for Spain on a two-day visit starting June 12 at the invitation of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

In Madrid, the critical topic on the agenda will be Israel's attacks in Gaza. Erdoğan is expected to express gratitude for Spain's recent official recognition of Palestine as a state, according to local media.

The leaders are anticipated to discuss establishing a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, facilitating humanitarian aid to the region and addressing the ongoing genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

Both Türkiye and Spain have announced their decision to join the suit filed by South Africa at the top U.N. court.

After Spain, Erdoğan will head to Italy to attend the G-7 summit in Bari on June 14. The president is expected to hold bilateral meetings with other leaders. His discussions will focus on seeking a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and halting Israeli attacks.

Alongside host Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, the summit will feature U.S. President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

It will also see participation from EU Council leader Charles Michel, EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, Pope Francis, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and leaders from South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Meanwhile, Erdoğan's European tour holds significance for Türkiye's pursuit of Eurofighter jets as an alternative to the recently approved F-16 purchases from the United States.

Germany, a key producer of the advanced jets, has yet to grant the consent for the sales to proceed. Erdoğan is expected to address this issue during his meetings, reports said.

The finalized F-16 deal, valued at $23 billion, entails Türkiye acquiring 40 new F-16s and upgrading 79 existing ones following recent approval from the U.S. Congress.

The Biden administration's notification came after Erdoğan signed off on Sweden's accession to NATO – a development that caps off more than a year of negotiations.

Following his southern Europe visit, Erdoğan will attend the NATO summit in Washington from July 9 to 11, where he will meet with various heads of state and government, including Biden.