Estonian foreign minister to visit Türkiye on Friday

ANKARA

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna will pay an official visit to Türkiye on Friday, the Turkish diplomatic sources said.

Tsahkna will meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who is expected to voice satisfaction over the growing cooperation between Türkiye and Estonia in military relations and the defense industry.

Fidan is expected to highlight Türkiye’s strategic role in the European security architecture, emphasize the need to activate high-level dialogue mechanisms, and discuss key issues on the Türkiye-EU agenda, particularly the update of the Customs Union and the implementation of the Visa Liberalization Dialogue.

He is also expected to express Türkiye’s gratitude for Estonia’s long-standing support for its EU membership process. He will likely emphasize that Türkiye will continue to support efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war as soon as possible and establish a just and lasting peace.

Regarding the situation in Gaza, Fidan is expected to emphasize the importance of maintaining the ceasefire and ensuring the continuous delivery of humanitarian aid in order to improve the region’s fragile humanitarian situation, as well as the need to accelerate international efforts to rebuild Gaza.

On Syria, the Turkish foreign minister is expected to emphasize the need for the swift implementation of the March 10 Agreement to preserve the country’s territorial integrity and unity, highlight the importance of conducting the fight against terrorism under the leadership of the Syrian government, and call for the immediate lifting of all sanctions imposed on Syria.

Bilateral relations

The foundation of Türkiye-Estonia relations dates back to the “Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation” signed on Dec. 1, 1924.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and Estonia’s restoration of independence, diplomatic relations between the two countries were reestablished through a “Joint Declaration” signed on Oct. 2, 1991.

Türkiye’s support for Estonia’s NATO membership in 2004 and Estonia’s backing of Türkiye’s EU accession process have further strengthened bilateral cooperation.

In 2024, the bilateral trade volume reached around $521 million, with the two countries aiming to raise it to $1 billion.

The year 2024 also marked the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Estonia, which was commemorated with an official visit by Estonian President Alar Karis to Türkiye on June 26-28.

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