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Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler stated the security of the Caucasus cannot be separated from that of Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, speaking at the 13th Türkiye-Azerbaijan-Georgia Trilateral Defense Ministers' Meeting in the Azerbaijani city of Shusha on Friday.
Guler reaffirmed Ankara's "strong support for the independence and territorial integrity of Georgia and Azerbaijan," as he and his Azerbaijani and Georgian counterparts signed the meeting's protocol.
The meeting comes as the South Caucasus undergoes what Guler called an important transformation, with recent progress toward peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia opening new opportunities for regional cooperation.
"The security of the Caucasus cannot be considered separately from the security of Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia," the Turkish minister said, noting that "With this understanding, I would like to once again express our strong support for the independence and territorial integrity of Georgia and Azerbaijan."
"In the coming period, we are ready to carry the existing trust and solidarity among the three countries to even higher levels in a way that serves the peace, security, stability and prosperity of the Caucasus," he stated.
Guler described the three countries as friends and neighbors bound by shared history, geography and mutual trust, saying their ties have grown into a deepening, multidimensional strategic partnership.
He said the three countries' energy, transportation and communication projects contribute not only to economic development but also to regional security and stability.
"Ensuring the security of these projects is the common responsibility of our countries," he said.
The Turkish minister stated that the joint exercises, training and experience sharing among the three armed forces reflect that responsibility in the field, noting, "Thanks to these activities, our units get to know each other better, our level of interoperability increases and our joint operational capability also develops."
"We are following with satisfaction the recent developments toward establishing peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia," Guler stated.
"We believe this new era will, through the joint efforts of the countries of the region, pave the way for new cooperation opportunities in the South Caucasus. At this point, Türkiye-Azerbaijan-Georgia cooperation is of special importance," he added.
Azerbaijani Defense Minister Gen. Zakir Hasanov, who hosted the meeting, said the talks were a clear sign of friendship, partnership and strategic dialogue among the three countries.
He said the ministers discussed prospects for bilateral and trilateral cooperation and military-political developments in the region.
"The Azerbaijan-Georgia-Türkiye trilateral cooperation format is an important platform for regional stability, security and development," Hasanov said, stressing that coordination is especially important amid rising global political tension and economic uncertainty.
"Our cooperation, based on mutual respect, good-neighborly relations and trust, is of great importance for ensuring peace, stability and security in the region," he said.
At the end of the meeting, Guler, Hasanov and Georgian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Irakli Chikovani signed the meeting protocol. Guler also held separate bilateral talks with Hasanov and Chikovani, according to Türkiye's National Defense Ministry.
"I believe that the talks we hold today will make important contributions to further strengthening our existing cooperation and identifying new areas of cooperation," Guler said, as the three ministers pledged to expand defense ties for Caucasus security.
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