Khankendi economic summit receives wide news coverage in Turkish media

Leading television news channels and agencies in Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) have been providing extensive coverage of the 17th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Summit that kicked off in the Azerbaijani city of Khankendi on July 4.

Particular attention from the media in the two fraternal countries was devoted to the speeches of Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the summit, as noted by AZERTAG, which Turkish media outlets described as “critically important for cooperation across the ECO region.”

The Azerbaijani president’s statement on Baku’s readiness to further deepen ties with ECO member states was conveyed to the millions-strong audience in Turkey and Northern Cyrprus.

The coverage put special emphasis on Azerbaijan’s successful energy policy, with natural gas being supplied to 12 countries worldwide.

Excerpts were also shared from the Turkish president’s remarks highlighting the significance of holding the summit on lands liberated from occupation, the development of trade among ECO countries, and Ankara’s efforts to combat the climate crisis.

Erdoğan expressed his heartfelt optimism for the future of the city that had to endure an almost 30-year illegal occupation by armed separatist forces of Armenian ethnicity. “I wholeheartedly believe that the city of Khankendi will be a centre of peace,” he revealed, emphasizing that the decision to hold the summit in this historically significant location lent special meaning and importance to the event. According to the Turkish president, who recently hosted the Armenian prime minister in Turkey in a historic step toward building trust between the two countries, holding the ECO summit in this city marks a new chapter of growth and reconciliation in the region.

Media outlets in the TRNC, among others, also informed the public about President Erdoğan’s stance on supporting Northern Cyprus. The numerous bilateral meetings held on the sidelines of the summit in Khankendi did also receive broad media coverage.

By Nazrin Sadigova