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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will travel to Albania on Friday to attend the sixth European Political Community Summit in Tirana, continuing his intensive diplomatic engagements amid ongoing regional conflicts.
The summit will bring together leaders from 47 countries, including both European Union members and non-EU nations in the region. Heads of the European Council, European Commission, and European Parliament will also participate in the event, which marks the first time the gathering is being held in the Western Balkans.
The Tirana summit's theme is "A New Europe in a New World: Unity-Cooperation-Joint Action," focusing on contemporary challenges facing the continent. Three separate roundtable discussions will be organized addressing European security, democracy, competitiveness, and preparedness against various threats.
President Erdogan is expected to hold bilateral meetings with European counterparts on the sidelines of the summit. These discussions will likely center on the Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations recently held in Istanbul, as well as broader regional and global developments.
According to Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, Erdogan will deliver an address at the summit's main session. "During the summit, our President is expected to exchange views with his European counterparts on the peaceful resolution of regional and global conflicts, and on matters related to Europe's security, stability, and prosperity," Altun said in a statement on social media.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Israel's military operations are also expected to feature prominently in Erdogan's discussions with other European leaders. Türkiye has been a vocal critic of Israel's military campaign in Gaza and has consistently advocated for Palestinian rights in international forums.
The European Political Community, an initiative proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron in 2022, serves as an intergovernmental platform facilitating political and economic coordination among European states. Previous summits have been held in Prague, Moldova, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Hungary.
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