Erdogan Heads to Kyrgyzstan for SCO Summit as Eurasian Leaders Gather in Bishkek
ANKARA, TÜRKİYE — WEB DESK: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan departed Ankara on Monday for Kyrgyzstan to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, joining a gathering of Eurasian leaders expected to focus on regional security, economic cooperation and major international crises.
Erdogan’s aircraft left Ankara Airport at 9:00 am local time (0600 GMT). First Lady Emine Erdogan and a high-level delegation accompanied the president, according to Türkiye’s Presidential Communications Directorate.
Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, Presidential Secretary-General Hakki Susmaz and Ankara Governor Yakup Canbolat were among officials who saw Erdogan off at the airport.
The Turkish leader is visiting Bishkek from August 31 to September 1 at the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.
Erdogan to Address Expanded SCO Summit
Türkiye’s presidency said Erdogan will address the SCO summit’s expanded-format session on Tuesday, September 1, and hold bilateral meetings with participating leaders.
The official announcement did not provide a complete list of Erdogan’s planned bilateral meetings. Individual encounters should therefore be reported as confirmed only after they are announced by the Turkish presidency or the other governments involved.
The summit brings together leaders from across Eurasia at a particularly sensitive moment for regional and international security.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are among the prominent leaders converging on Bishkek for the SCO gathering.
Iran’s Pezeshkian Also Arrives in Bishkek
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Bishkek on Monday for a two-day visit, accompanied by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
According to Iranian reporting cited by The Express Tribune, Pezeshkian’s programme includes bilateral discussions with Putin, Shehbaz, Modi, Japarov and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon. He is also scheduled to address the SCO leaders’ summit.
Pezeshkian’s participation has taken on additional significance because it comes amid renewed military confrontation involving Iran and the United States.
Modi and Pezeshkian Meet on Sidelines
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Bishkek gathering on Monday, according to reporting cited by The Express Tribune. The meeting was described as the first between the two leaders in two years.
The summit is providing opportunities for multiple bilateral discussions alongside the formal SCO proceedings.
AP reported that leaders from China, Russia and India are among those gathering in Bishkek, with the organisation serving as an increasingly important forum for political, economic and security coordination across Eurasia.
Shehbaz Sharif Also Travels to Kyrgyzstan
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also departed for Bishkek on Monday for a three-day official visit from August 31 to September 2.
Shehbaz will participate in the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting and the SCO Plus Summit and hold bilateral meetings with leaders of participating countries.
Pakistan is also preparing to assume the chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for the next year, adding significance to Shehbaz’s participation.
He is scheduled to hold separate talks with President Japarov covering Pakistan-Kyrgyzstan relations, including trade and investment, energy, regional connectivity, education, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.
Türkiye Is Not a Full SCO Member
Erdogan’s participation also highlights Türkiye’s distinctive position within the SCO.
Türkiye is not a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. It participates as a dialogue partner and has sought deeper engagement with the Eurasian grouping while simultaneously remaining a member of NATO. AP notes that Ankara sees the SCO as part of its broader effort to strengthen its Eurasian role.
That distinction is important when reporting Erdogan’s participation: attending and addressing the expanded summit does not mean Türkiye has become an SCO member.
Ankara has for years pursued closer political, economic and security relationships with Central Asian states, including Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
The region also has particular significance for Türkiye because of linguistic, historical and cultural ties with Turkic-speaking states.
Summit Takes Place Amid Major Global Tensions
This year’s gathering comes against an unusually complicated geopolitical backdrop.
Russia remains involved in the war in Ukraine, while Iran is confronting renewed military action involving the United States. Regional leaders are also dealing with questions surrounding Afghanistan, trade, connectivity and wider security across Eurasia.
The SCO itself encompasses countries with sometimes sharply different strategic interests.
China and Russia have promoted the organisation as an important platform for a more multipolar international system, while countries such as India maintain extensive relationships with Western powers. Türkiye, meanwhile, combines NATO membership with expanding ties across Eurasia.
These differences mean the SCO should not be portrayed simply as a unified military or anti-Western alliance.
Xi Jinping in Kyrgyzstan
Chinese President Xi Jinping is also in Kyrgyzstan for the summit as part of a wider foreign trip.
China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed ahead of the gathering that Xi would participate in the SCO summit in Bishkek and meet President Japarov before travelling onward to Egypt.
The Chinese leader’s presence, alongside Putin, Modi, Shehbaz, Pezeshkian and Erdogan, gives the Bishkek gathering substantial diplomatic weight.
For Erdogan, the summit provides an opportunity to reinforce Türkiye’s engagement with Central Asia while holding direct discussions with leaders whose countries are central to Ankara’s foreign, economic and security policies.
The key developments to watch will be Erdogan’s September 1 summit address, the bilateral meetings confirmed during his stay and any Turkish initiatives on regional security, trade or diplomatic cooperation emerging from the Bishkek gathering.
