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Türkiye's top security and diplomatic officials will travel to Pakistan next week to address escalating tensions between Islamabad and Afghanistan, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Sunday.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yasar Guler, and intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin will meet with Pakistani counterparts as part of a joint mediation effort with Qatar aimed at de-escalating the conflict between the two neighboring nations.
"Our goal is to put in place measures and mechanisms that will make the ceasefire sustainable and to permanently end terrorist incidents in the region," Erdogan told reporters aboard his return flight from Azerbaijan.
The Turkish president said Ankara has been urging both sides to exercise restraint while expressing hope for a permanent ceasefire and lasting peace in the region.
Separately, Erdogan disclosed that Türkiye is preparing to dispatch shipping containers from its earthquake-affected regions to Gaza, emphasizing maximum support for the besieged territory.
"Ensuring the delivery of urgently needed supplies to Gaza is of utmost importance," Erdogan said, adding: "not merely a matter of aid, but a matter of humanity."
Türkiye has already sent food, medicine, shelter materials, health equipment, clothing, and hygiene products to Gaza, with additional shipments planned for the coming period, according to the president.
On Sudan, where fighting between the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has raged since April 15, 2023, Erdogan said Türkiye "cannot remain a bystander" and pledged continued diplomatic engagement to restore peace and security. The conflict has killed thousands and displaced millions.
Erdogan called for an immediate end to hostilities and urged dialogue to resolve disputes, stating that Ankara stands with the Sudanese people.
Addressing Türkiye's relationship with Azerbaijan, Erdogan said "winds of peace are blowing" following Azerbaijan's victory in Karabakh, referring to the 44-day war in 2020 that ended nearly three decades of Armenian occupation in most of the region.
Türkiye is coordinating its normalization process with Armenia in sync with Azerbaijan's own peace efforts, Erdogan said. He welcomed the Aug. 8 agreement reached between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Washington, saying swift conclusion of the peace process would position Azerbaijan as "the architect of peace in the region."
The 2021 Shusha Declaration elevated Turkish-Azerbaijani relations to an alliance level, Erdogan noted, adding that bilateral ties have been strengthened through concrete projects across all sectors.
On military equipment, Erdogan said recent discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump yielded "positive steps" regarding F-35 fighter jets and expressed hope that commitments would be honored. Türkiye has also made progress with the United Kingdom and Germany on acquiring Eurofighter jets, with additional discussions underway with Qatar and Oman.
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