Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Faculty of Political Sciences Dr. Faculty Member Ömer Faruk Karaman wrote about Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's visit to Baku and the regional and geopolitical reflections of Turkey-Azerbaijan relations in the context of the common future vision of the Turkish world for AA Analysis.
The visit of Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan to Azerbaijan on 15-16 September 2026 has meaning beyond routine diplomatic contacts on the Ankara-Baku line. This visit, on the one hand, reminds us of the historical and emotional depth of the "One nation, two states" understanding, and on the other hand, reveals the codes of the new regional architecture shaped around the axis of the South Caucasus, Black Sea, Hormuz, Central Corridor and the Organization of Turkic States (TDT). Minister Fidan's meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Ceyhun Bayramov in Baku, his reception by President Ilham Aliyev and the discussion of the defense-security dimension during the contacts clearly demonstrate that the visit has a multi-layered and strategic nature.
Diplomacy in Türkiye-Azerbaijan relations is often shaped not only by state wisdom but also by the strong feeling carried by the common memory. The fact that Minister Fidan's visit coincided with the 108th anniversary of the liberation of Baku by the Caucasus Islamic Army under the command of Nuri Pasha gave the visit a symbolic depth. September 15, 1918 is a turning point not only in the history of Baku, but also in the common memory of the Turkish world, where the price of brotherhood was paid with blood, sacrifice and solidarity. Minister Fidan's commemoration of the martyrs on this occasion shows that today's diplomacy does not break away from yesterday's memory, on the contrary, it carries that memory to the future with the vision of peace, stability and development.
This historical basis has been further strengthened by an institutional framework in recent years. Türkiye became the first state to recognize the independence of Azerbaijan, the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council was established in 2010, and relations were elevated to the level of alliance with the Shusha Declaration signed on June 15, 2021. Therefore, the relationship between Ankara and Baku today is not just a good neighborly or classical strategic partnership relationship. This relationship has turned into an axis that goes beyond the regional scale in terms of political coordination, defense industry, energy security, transportation lines, trade, public diplomacy and the institutional future of the Turkish world.
One of the most important dimensions of the visit is the common perspective on how to establish the post-war period in the South Caucasus. Throughout the years when Karabakh was occupied, Türkiye openly continued its support for Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. Today, the priority is to transform the gained military and political ground into permanent peace, economic connectivity and regional prosperity. Minister Fidan's message, "We want the South Caucasus to be remembered not for conflicts, but for peace, transportation, energy, trade and economic development" summarizes Ankara's perspective on the new era.
This view is not limited to the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process. Projects such as Zangezur Corridor, Nakhchivan connection, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway and Kars-Iğdır-Aralık-Dilucu Railway stand out as the main topics that will strengthen the physical integration of the Turkish world. According to Bayramov's statement, approximately 95 percent of the road works and 75 percent of the railway works towards the Armenian border of Azerbaijan have been completed, and both projects are planned to be completed in the first half of 2027. Minister Fidan also stated that with the completion of the Kars-Dilucu railway towards the end of 2029, a train coming from Azerbaijan will be able to reach Türkiye uninterruptedly. When these lines are completed, the issue will no longer be just a railway or road project, but a geoeconomic backbone will be formed that will enable the Turkish world to have stronger access to Anatolia and Europe, and Türkiye to Central Asia via the Caspian.
Another important aspect of the visit in the light of regional developments is the Black Sea and Hormuz topics. The attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea and the pressures on energy and food security of the Russia-Ukraine War, which has been going on for more than 4.5 years, make the consultations on the Ankara-Baku line more critical. Minister Fidan's emphasis on the meticulous implementation of the Montreux Straits Convention, the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the unacceptable spread of war to the Black Sea reflects Türkiye's capacity to limit crises and produce diplomatic intermediate paths. The message that safe, uninterrupted and free passages should be returned to the Strait of Hormuz shows that Turkey-Azerbaijan consultations are not limited to the Caucasus only, but are also linked to global energy and maritime trade security.
The visit also includes concrete goals and new opportunities on an economic scale. The fact that the trade volume between Türkiye and Azerbaijan is recorded as 7.08 billion dollars in 2025 and the leaders set a target of 15 billion dollars reveals the potential for economic deepening of relations. The fact that approximately 5,800 Turkish companies operate in Azerbaijan, Türkiye's position as the country with the highest number of foreign-capital companies in Azerbaijan, and high-level mutual investments show that the relations between the two countries are based on a solid foundation. A green energy dimension is also added to this. In his speech, Bayramov referred to the transportation of green energy produced in Azerbaijan to Europe via the Black Sea, a new energy cable on the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey-Bulgaria line and energy cable projects connecting Nakhchivan to Türkiye, indicating that energy cooperation will go beyond fossil resources in the new era.
At the center of all these topics is the institutional future of the Turkish world. Minister Fidan's reminder that the TDT Foreign Ministers Council Meeting will be held in Ankara on October 29 and the 13th TDT Summit on October 30, and his description of the summit as a historical step that will strengthen the common future vision of the Turkish world, makes his visit to Baku a part of the preparation process for the summit in Ankara. Bayramov's definition of TDT as a family structure that brings sister countries together reveals that the organization is seen not only as a diplomatic platform but also as a ground of common belonging and strategic coordination.
At this point, the Türkiye-Azerbaijan partnership functions as a "core axis" for the Turkish world. As the harmony between Ankara and Baku strengthens, TDT's capacity to produce more concrete projects in the fields of transportation, energy, defense, digitalization, trade and public diplomacy also increases. The future of the Turkish world depends not only on a common history and culture narrative, but also on supporting this narrative with a common infrastructure, common market, common technology and common security vision. In this respect, Minister Fidan's visit to Baku should be read as a strategic contact that combines the sense of brotherhood of the past with today's geopolitics, and today's projects with the vision of the Turkish world of tomorrow.
The Ankara-Baku line can be expected to be decisive in three areas in the coming period. First, the permanence of the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process can move the South Caucasus out of the memory of conflict and towards a new economic order centered on connectivity. Secondly, the completion of the Central Corridor and Zangezur line can make the Turkish world more visible and indispensable in Europe-Asia trade. Thirdly, TDT's Ankara Summit may offer the opportunity to transform solidarity between Turkish states into more institutional and applicable projects.
As a result, Minister Fidan's visit to Azerbaijan is not just a new link in diplomatic traffic between two allied countries. This visit reflects a broad strategic picture, ranging from the historical memory of the liberation of Baku to the spirit of alliance of the Shusha Declaration, from the search for peace after Karabakh to the geoeconomic potential of the Central Corridor, from the Black Sea and Hormuz crises to the common future vision of TDT to be shaped in Ankara. The brotherhood of Türkiye and Azerbaijan is not only the solidarity of the two states today, but also the will of the Turkish world to transform the idea of unity into a power that produces regional peace, economic development and global effectiveness. To the extent that this will is supported by sustainable projects, the Turkish world will become one of the rising geopolitical realities of the 21st century.
