Aliyev's Absence Casts Shadow Over Turkic States Organization Summit in Ankara

The thirteenth summit of the Organization of Turkic States opened in Ankara without the attendance of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, a notable absence that sparked widespread questions.

According to the Azerbaijani site report.az, Aliyev was unable to attend due to prior commitments, as he is scheduled to present awards at the final of the FIFA U-15 World Championship being held for the first time in Baku on October 30; his attendance at the closing ceremony had been previously scheduled. Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov represented him at the summit proceedings.

On the margins of the meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a bilateral meeting with his counterpart Bayramov. The Turkish Foreign Ministry did not disclose the contents of the talks, while the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry announced that the two sides discussed "the current situation and prospects of Azerbaijan-Turkey relations, cooperation within the framework of the organization, and exchanged views on regional and international developments."

Regarding participation, Hungary—an observer state—was absent from the ministerial meeting at both ambassador and minister level, while Turkmenistan limited itself to sending its ambassador in Ankara.

As part of bilateral meetings, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and the two leaders signed two protocols and three separate agreements in the fields of trade, social security, and business, bringing the total signed documents to five agreements.