Published February 12,2026

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Thursday that Türkiye is working to ensure peace and stability in its region and beyond “at a time of rising global uncertainty,” stressing that Ankara “never neglects the Balkans.”

Speaking at a joint press conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Erdoğan emphasized regional engagement and highlighted Turkish efforts to promote peace and stability across the Balkans alongside broader diplomatic initiatives.

Erdoğan recalled that the fourth High-Level Cooperation Council meeting between the two countries was last convened on Oct. 11, 2024, in Belgrade, and said significant developments have taken place since then in bilateral relations as well as in regional and global affairs.

He said the two leaders assessed the impact of these developments on their relationship and discussed next steps.

“At a time of rising global uncertainty, Türkiye is working to ensure peace and stability in our region and beyond, and we never neglect the Balkans,” he stressed.

During their talks, he noted that they also discussed how to maintain Balkan stability and strengthen regional economic development.

He also highlighted growing economic ties between the two countries.

“Türkiye’s total trade volume with Serbia reached $3.5 billion last year as we are moving step by step toward our $5 billion target,” he said.

Erdoğan said growing trade and investment ties serve as the driving force behind bilateral relations.

He also announced that Türkiye will participate in EXPO 2027, which Serbia will host in Belgrade, expressing confidence that the event will provide additional opportunities to strengthen economic, commercial, and cultural ties.

TURKISH COMPANIES, INVESTMENTS IN SERBIA

He further pointed to the expansion of Turkish investments in Serbia.

“While around 100 Turkish-capital companies were operating in Serbia in 2015, today that number has exceeded 1,500, and the total investment amount has reached $300 million,” he noted.

He added that Turkish contractors are supporting housing, road, and infrastructure development in Serbia through more than 100 projects.

The president also reiterated that Türkiye welcomes Serbian investors and encouraged greater reciprocal investment.

He underlined the strengthening tourism links between the two nations.

“Today, Türkiye is the second tourism destination for Serbian tourists,” Erdoğan said, adding that Turkish citizens rank first among visitors to Serbia.

He said the growing number of mutual tourist visits reflects both peoples’ desire to strengthen people-to-people ties.

The two leaders also discussed increasing flights between their countries to make travel easier and more accessible.

YUNUS EMRE INSTITUTE, TÜRKİYE MAARIF FOUNDATION

Erdoğan acknowledged Serbia’s strong interest in learning Turkish, saying institutions such as the Yunus Emre Institute and the Türkiye Maarif Foundation are working to meet that demand.

He said they also discussed development projects in the Sandzak region, which he described as a bridge of friendship between the two countries, and noted that Türkiye closely follows initiatives aimed at fostering growth there.

Erdoğan congratulated the Muslim community in Serbia on the upcoming holy month of Ramadan.

He also highlighted Türkiye’s efforts to promote regional ownership-based initiatives, citing the second meeting of the Balkan Peace Platform hosted in Istanbul on Jan. 23, 2026, and thanked Vucic for his personal support for the platform.

Erdoğan described Vucic’s visit as highly valuable for advancing peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.

Lastly, he concluded his words: “God willing, we will also pay a visit to Belgrade and Novi Pazar in May or June with a large delegation.”

Published February 12,2026

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Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s leadership and voiced support for deeper economic, political, and security cooperation between the two countries.

“I am truly very pleased to be here,” Vucic told a joint press conference with Erdoğan in Ankara, describing their talks as “a very open and sincere dialogue” between two long-time friends who speak “with great respect for one another.”

He said the meetings in Ankara made him happy, stressing he was speaking sincerely rather than using standard diplomatic language.

“When I speak to you, I do so with the utmost respect, as a great leader, not only of Türkiye, but also of the region and indeed a leader with global influence,” he added, noting that the issues discussed and conclusions reached were “very important.”

Vucic said Türkiye is “an extremely important partner for Serbia,” highlighting its political weight as well as its role in the economy, defense industry, and technology.

TURKISH INFLUENCE IN ECONOMIC, MILITARY, TECHNOLOGICAL FIELDS

He emphasized that although Serbia is smaller in size, it highly values Türkiye’s political importance and its influence in economic, military and technological fields.He underlined that Turkish companies are investing in various parts of Serbia, particularly in less developed southern regions, creating job opportunities.He said some in Serbia may not fully recognize the scale of Turkish investments in less developed regions, especially in the south, where companies are contributing to employment and development.The Serbian leader also referred to major infrastructure projects involving Turkish public institutions and private firms, including road and railway developments, and expressed hope that Erdoğan’s next visit to Serbia would be his largest ever, with “very important agreements” to be signed.He said the two sides discussed numerous infrastructure projects in detail, including highway and railway developments, and expressed hope that agreements related to a key highway project would soon be signed to help resolve transportation challenges.

BALKAN PEACE PLATFORM

“I strongly support President Erdoğan’s Balkan Peace Platform initiative,” Vucic said, adding that regional cooperation is “extremely important.”He said he would gladly accept an invitation to participate in future meetings under the Balkan Peace Platform, describing the initiative as vital for preserving regional stability.According to him, bringing together peoples and economies across the Balkans is essential for long-term peace and prosperity.He also said the two sides discussed activating a joint committee that will have an intensive agenda in the coming months, noting that further frameworks for parliamentary friendship groups are expected to be established.For the first time, he said, the leaders discussed cooperation in military and technical fields, including collaboration between their armed forces. Strengthening such cooperation could help preserve peace and ensure a better future for both nations, he added.Vucic thanked Türkiye for agreeing to participate in EXPO 2027 to be hosted by Serbia, calling the decision important for expanding economic and cultural ties.He described Erdoğan as an “experienced and wise leader” who knows how to contribute to peace, and said Serbia, as a sovereign and independent country, respects leaders who seek to preserve stability.Vucic thanked Erdoğan for his hospitality and reiterated Serbia looks forward to hosting him soon for what he hoped will be a landmark visit.

Published February 13,2026

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The head of the Turkish parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee said Thursday that relations between Türkiye and the US are on a more stable footing due to direct engagement between the countries’ leaders.

Speaking to Turkish journalists in Washington, Fuat Oktay, a former Turkish vice president, said the current “healthy” relationship between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump has contributed to steadier bilateral ties.

Oktay said meetings on Capitol Hill reflected a more positive atmosphere compared to previous visits, suggesting that the constructive approach at the leadership level is also visible in Congress.

He said bilateral trade between the two NATO allies stands at nearly $40 billion, with a target of $100 billion, adding that new areas of cooperation have emerged in defense and security.

Reiterating that NATO allies should not impose embargoes on one another, Oktay said issues such as the S-400 air defense systems should be handled in a way that allows both sides to move forward. He said Türkiye procured the systems to meet urgent security needs at a time when it was unable to obtain US-made Patriot systems.

On regional issues, Oktay also emphasized that strengthening Syria’s central government and ensuring integration across the country would contribute to regional stability, arguing that this approach serves the interests of both Türkiye and the US.

Published February 13,2026

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Türkiye on Friday welcomed the parliamentary elections and referendum on reforms, including constitutional amendments, in Bangladesh, saying they were conducted “in a peaceful manner.”

“We hope that the results of the elections and the referendum, which observers from Türkiye also monitored, will contribute to democracy, stability and prosperity in Bangladesh,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Türkiye also reaffirmed its commitment to further developing relations with the South Asian country in every field in the period ahead.

Bangladesh held general elections on Thursday, the first since the 2024 popular uprising that ousted the government of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party has won a two-thirds majority in the 300-seat parliament and is set to form the new government. The party’s chairman, Tarique Rehman, is expected to become the new prime minister.