Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov announced that Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdoghan plan to hold a separate meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, which will open on September 1 in Tianjin, China.

According to Ushakov, the key topics of the talks will include regional security issues and the development of events in the South Caucasus. The Russian and Turkish sides intend to discuss the implementation of the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, signed in August under U.S. mediation, as well as the impact of new transport and energy projects on the regional balance of power.

Russia has traditionally regarded the South Caucasus as a zone of its interests, but in recent years its positions have significantly weakened due to the war in Ukraine and the growing activity of the United States in the region. Turkey, on the contrary, has been strengthening its influence through close cooperation with Azerbaijan and participation in energy and infrastructure initiatives. The meeting between Putin and Erdoghan may become an important step toward coordinating the approaches of the two countries, which are both competitors and forced partners in the region.

Analysts note that Moscow will try to use the negotiations to avoid losing its role in the Baku-Yerevan peace process, to promote the idea of involving Russian security mechanisms in the Caucasus, and to secure Ankara’s support in circumventing Western sanctions. For Turkey, the meeting will be an opportunity to consolidate its status as a key mediator and economic player, especially in the context of the future TRIPP (Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity) transport corridor, around which a new geopolitical reality is emerging.

Thus, the talks between Putin and Erdoghan in Tianjin could become one of the main events of the SCO summit, with a direct impact on the balance of power in the South Caucasus.

#RUSSIA

#TURKEY

28.08.2025 06:06