Istanbul- Today, Friday, Istanbul hosted the third meeting of the “South Caucasus Regional Cooperation Platform,” which was established on the initiative of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan andPresident Ilham Aliyev In December 2020, with the aim of bringing lasting peace and stability to the South Caucasus.
The conference includes 3 countries from the region (Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia) and 3 neighboring countries (Turkey, Russia, and Iran), and has become known as “3+3.”
He attended the conference Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, His counterparts are Russian foreign ministers Sergey LavrovAzerbaijan Jehun Bayramov, Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan, and Iran Abbas Araghjiin the absence of Georgia.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran and Armenia on the sidelines of the forum in the presidential office at Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul.
Opportunity for consultation
The conference included an evaluation of the steps that can be taken to achieve stability and increase prosperity instead of war and conflict in the region, and a discussion of concrete cooperation projects, including strengthening regional connectivity.
In his opening speech, the Turkish Foreign Minister pointed out that the third meeting of the “3+3” platform for regional cooperation is an opportunity to consult on achieving lasting peace and explore opportunities for cooperation in the South Caucasus.
Fidan explained that the idea of establishing this mechanism emerged weeks after the signing of the tripartite statement on November 9, 2020, which led to a ceasefire in the second war around Karabakh between Azerbaijan and Armenia. He explained that the main goal of the platform is to meet the need for a framework in which all issues related to the South Caucasus are discussed.
Minister Fidan added, “Although the platform bears the name 3+3,… Georgia Unfortunately, I missed the meeting. I once again confirm to you that the place of our neighbor and friend Georgia is preserved, and she can join the platform whenever she wants.”
He also pointed out that the crises in neighboring regions, and the wars and humanitarian disasters caused by Israel in the Middle East, once again confirm the importance of regional dialogue and cooperation.
He explained, “We believe that regional countries are the most capable of understanding their problems and solving them.”
The first meeting of the platform was held in 2021 in Moscow at the level of deputy foreign ministers, while the second meeting was held in 2023 in Tehran at the level of foreign ministers.
Although Georgia did not participate in the previous two meetings due to its relations with Russia, the platform keeps the door open for its accession, within the framework of the principle of “regional ownership.”
Joint declaration
In a statement, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the meeting addressed important issues related to establishing lasting peace and stability in the region, in addition to promoting regional development. During the meeting, ideas were exchanged regarding the implementation of concrete projects aimed at deepening cooperation between the participating countries.
According to the ministry, a joint statement was agreed upon that stressed the importance of economic cooperation in enhancing confidence between countries and contributing to achieving stability and prosperity. The countries also agreed to explore cooperation opportunities in the fields of transportation, communications, trade, energy and investment, with a focus on enhancing regional connectivity.
The ministry added that the joint statement stressed the importance of dialogue as a means to achieve peace and stability in the South Caucasus.
She also indicated that Türkiye affirms its determination to continue working with the countries of the region to achieve lasting peace and enhance cooperation in the South Caucasus.
Strengthening regional cooperation
Political researcher Ahmed Ozgur referred to previous statements by the Turkish Foreign Minister, explaining that the talks that took place between the ministers of the six countries in Istanbul were not limited to discussing the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia only, but rather addressed broader issues that include the entire Caucasus region, including security and economic issues that affect on the stability of the region.
In his conversation with Al Jazeera Net, Ozgur explained that the timing of the meeting coincides with Turkey's efforts to reduce tensions in its foreign relations, which was evident in the announcement of the start of the normalization process with Armenia. He stressed that Türkiye seeks, at the same time, to strengthen its role as an effective mediator in the region, taking advantage of its broad influence over many neighboring countries, which it sees as an important partner in achieving stability.
He pointed out that this meeting reflects Turkish ambitions to strengthen its regional position, not only through mediation, but by presenting itself as a major actor in resolving regional conflicts, such as those taking place in the Caucasus.
He added that this meeting is of particular importance given the tense conditions in the Middle East, as Turkey seeks with its partners to unify their positions on thorny regional issues, especially the Israeli war on Gaza and Lebanon, and its potential effects on the international arena.
Ozgur concluded his speech by noting that the gathered countries also aim to enhance economic and infrastructure cooperation, including regional connectivity projects that will strengthen economic relations between the Caucasus countries and neighboring countries, which may contribute to creating a more stable and secure environment in the long term.
Turkish warning
The Turkish Foreign Minister warned that the possibility of war erupting between Israel and Iran has become “great”, in light of the escalation of regional tensions, calling for the need for Turkey and the region to prepare to confront this possible scenario.
Fidan pointed out that Turkey has raised its level of warnings since October 7, 2023, in various international forums, warning of increasing tensions in the region, and stressed that the situation is moving toward more complexity at an accelerating pace.
In a television interview yesterday, Thursday, Fidan said, “Gaza has turned into an open cemetery, where tens of thousands of innocent people were killed, and Israel committed genocide there.” He added that the Israeli escalation did not stop in Gaza, but rather extended to Lebanon, which increases the possibilities of the outbreak of a wide regional war that includes Iran.
Fidan stressed that Turkey does not support in any way the outbreak of war between Israel and Iran, stressing that “Ankara completely opposes any conflict that might lead to war, but if Iran defends itself, this is considered a legitimate right.”
Speaking about the positions of some regional countries, Fidan explained that many of those countries were suffering from tensions with Iran and its agents before the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza, expressing his regret that these tensions were “intertwined with the Palestinian issue.” He added, “Most countries in the region are not in a position to confront Israel.”
Regarding Türkiye's readiness for the possibility of a world war, the Foreign Minister stressed that Turkish government institutions are working seriously to study this possible scenario and make the necessary preparations. He pointed out that global political, economic, technological and social developments indicate more divisions and polarization.
Fidan concluded his statements by emphasizing that “unpredictability” constitutes one of the biggest challenges in international relations today, stressing the need for countries to strengthen their control over the economic and technological fields to face the challenges ahead.