Erdoğan wraps up busy year of diplomatic engagements

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has maintained a busy diplomatic schedule in 2024, engaging in intensive international contacts across 17 countries and hosting leaders from 18 nations in Türkiye.

A significant portion of Erdoğan's efforts focused on resolving the crisis in the Palestinian territories and addressing other global and regional issues.

Erdoğan's international diplomacy began on Feb. 13 with a visit to Dubai, followed by a trip to Cairo on Feb. 14 at the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. His travels included high-level meetings in Iraq, Spain the United States, Kazakhstan and Hungary, among other nations.

The president also hosted key foreign leaders in Ankara, including German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

In December, Erdoğan mediated talks in Ankara to resolve a year-long crisis between Ethiopia and Somalia, culminating in a signed agreement on Dec. 11.

Erdoğan prioritized visits to neighboring and regional countries. In April, he met with Iraqi leaders and representatives of ethnic communities in Baghdad and Irbil. His regional engagements extended to Turkish Cyprus, where he marked the 50th anniversary of Türkiye's 1974 military operation, and to Azerbaijan for the COP29 climate summit.

His efforts in Astana during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit included talks with leaders from Russia, China, Azerbaijan and Pakistan.

Meanwhile, his July trip to the NATO summit in Washington saw discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Erdoğan's global reach was highlighted by his attendance at major...