Published December 23,2025

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Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler on Tuesday received Libyan Chief of General Staff Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad in Türkiye’s capital Ankara.

According to a statement by Türkiye’s National Defense Ministry, al-Haddad was invited by his Turkish counterpart Selcuk Bayraktaroglu.

Commander of Turkish Land Forces Gen. Metin Tokel also attended the meeting, details of which were not immediately provided.

Published December 23,2025

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Türkiye is ready to engage in all forms of cooperation with sister nation Azerbaijan on renewable energy investments and the green transition, said its Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz on Tuesday.

Speaking at the Second Türkiye-Azerbaijan Investment Forum in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku, Yılmaz said: “By strengthening our cooperation through the power of unity, we can turn the challenges facing our region into opportunities.”

Yılmaz said Türkiye is closely following Azerbaijan’s transformation in the energy sector, where it plays a significant role both regionally and globally, adding that fossil fuel usage will gradually decline, and energy policies based on them will change.

“Azerbaijan has identified this clearly and is making serious investments in renewable energy. We support this approach. At the same time, developing non-oil sectors is a highly accurate strategy. Diversifying the economy and avoiding dependence on a single product is an extremely sound policy,” said Yılmaz.

“We would like to emphasize that Türkiye is ready for all kinds of cooperation with brotherly Azerbaijan regarding renewable energy investments and this transformation. The successful continuation of this strategic transformation is of great importance for regional energy security,” he added.

TÜRKİYE: 21 STRAIGHT QUARTERS OF GROWTH

Stressing that advancing commercial and economic relations is a historical responsibility shaped by current favorable conditions, Yılmaz said: “Our goal is a strong Türkiye, a strong Azerbaijan, and a prosperous region where peace and stability prevail.”

“Our political stability is the greatest assurance for our esteemed business community. The friendship and brotherhood between our presidents, (Türkiye’s) Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and (Azerbaijan’s) Ilham Aliyev, just like the brotherhood of our nations, present us with major opportunities. There is a very strong political will behind us. Our duty is to transform this will into concrete projects and tangible actions,” he added.

Yılmaz said Türkiye’s economy has expanded for 21 consecutive quarters, with growth reaching 3.7% in the first nine months of the year, despite an estimated 6% contraction in agriculture due to frost and drought, adding that its GDP, which stood at $238 billion in 2002, is expected to exceed $1.5 trillion this year in line with international forecasts.

Per capita income is projected to rise above $17,000 to approach $18,000, placing Türkiye in the World Bank’s high-income country category for the first time, Yılmaz explained. According to IMF projections, Türkiye is expected to rank as the world’s 16th-largest economy by nominal GDP and 11th by purchasing power parity, he said.

‘OUR GOAL IS TO REACH A $15M TRADE VOLUME’

Highlighting that Türkiye continues to break export records, Yılmaz said: “Despite unfavorable global conditions, rising protectionism, uncertainty, and geopolitical tensions and wars in our region, our exports continue to grow. Based on annualized figures, our exports have approached $271 billion.”

Pointing to Azerbaijan’s strong economic performance, with a growth rate of 4.1% in 2024, Yılmaz said bilateral trade between Türkiye and Azerbaijan reached $8 billion in 2024 with a “slight decline this year due to developments in oil prices and other factors, but this will be temporary.”

“Our goal is to reach the $15 billion trade target set by our presidents. We firmly believe that we will achieve this together with our business communities. In this context, we expanded our preferential trade agreement with Azerbaijan and ensured its entry into force in 2024. We are also conducting studies to explore the possibility of signing a free trade agreement,” he said.

Yılmaz stated that direct investments from Türkiye to Azerbaijan have reached approximately $18 billion, while investments from Azerbaijan to Türkiye have approached $21 billion, emphasizing that stronger mutual investments create a more solid and stable foundation for trade.

Calling on investors from both countries, Yılmaz said: “Please invest more and cooperate more. Not only invest mutually, but also carry out joint projects in third countries. This is our expectation and our call. Let us increase mutual investments and also undertake joint investments in other countries.”

Published December 22,2025

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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defense Minister Yasar Guler, and intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin are on a working visit to Syria’s capital Damascus on Monday.

Fidan, Guler and Kalin will meet with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and other Syrian officials as part of the visit, according to information obtained from Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.

The meetings are expected to comprehensively assess the trajectory of Türkiye-Syria relations over the past year across political, economic and security dimensions, following the first anniversary of the overthrow of the Bashar Assad regime.

Discussions will also focus on the progress of the implementation of the March 10 agreement, which is closely linked to Türkiye’s national security priorities.

The visit is also expected to address emerging security risks in southern Syria stemming from Israel’s aggressive actions.

In the context of the shared interests of Türkiye and Syria, as well as Syria’s recent accession to the International Coalition to Defeat Daesh (ICDC), cooperation aimed at preventing the resurgence of the Daesh (ISIS) terrorist group-which seeks to exploit potential fragilities on the Syrian ground-will also be discussed.

In addition to security issues, which will constitute the main focus of the talks, the agenda includes a review of bilateral projects being carried out for Syria’s reconstruction and an evaluation of efforts to support the Syrian government’s capacity-building initiatives.

Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz, who has been appointed as Türkiye’s ambassador to Damascus, will also be traveling to the Syrian capital.

In the one-year period since the collapse of the Assad regime, Türkiye-Syria relations have gained momentum across many areas, with historic opportunities for bilateral and regional cooperation emerging, particularly in the fields of security and the economy.

While supporting efforts to heal the wounds left by the nearly 15-year Syrian conflict, Türkiye is also working to ensure that new cooperation opportunities are harnessed in a way that serves Syria’s stability and security in line with the interests of both countries.

In this context, Fidan paid his first visit to Syria following the fall of the Assad regime on Dec. 22, 2024.

– Mutual visits in 3+3 format

In the period that followed, as a natural outcome of the positive atmosphere that has emerged in Syria’s new era, reciprocal high-level visits between Türkiye and Syria have continued.

Within this framework, meetings held in the 3+3 format between the two countries have taken on particular significance.

Accordingly, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani visited Türkiye on Jan. 15, accompanied by a high-level delegation. During the visit, Fidan, Guler and Kalin met with their Syrian counterparts.

Following that meeting, the Turkish foreign minister, national defense minister and intelligence chief paid a working visit to Syria on March 13.

Another meeting focusing on security cooperation and current developments between the two countries was held in Ankara on Oct. 12, with the participation of Fidan, Guler, Kalin and their Syrian counterparts.

Published December 21,2025

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North Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova said on Sunday that she believes relations with Türkiye will continue to grow stronger, citing friendship and mutual respect between the two countries.

“I believe that in the coming period, together with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we will continue to further deepen these relations in the spirit of friendship and mutual respect,” Siljanovska-Davkova said at an event in Skopje.

Her remarks came during a reception marking Turkish Language Education Day on Dec. 21 and the 20th anniversary of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency’s (TIKA) Skopje Program Coordination Office.

Siljanovska-Davkova called the Turkish community in the North one of the strongest links between the two nations.

Türkiye’s ambassador to Skopje, Fatih Ulusoy, said North Macedonia stands out as a country where diverse ethnic, religious, and cultural communities coexist peacefully, noting that within this positive picture, the Turkish community—one of the country’s ancient and founding peoples and its loyal citizens—holds a special place.