11.11.2026 12:03
Three days after President Erdoğan's visit to Azerbaijan on November 8, this time Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev came to Turkey. Aliyev, who met with Erdoğan at the COP31 Leaders Summit in Antalya, drew attention with his words, "Everything is great." The two leaders' reciprocal visits at short intervals once again demonstrated the close diplomatic contacts in Turkey-Azerbaijan relations.
Hosted by Turkey and held in Antalya, the COP31 Leaders Summit brought world leaders together, and a notable meeting also took place between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Aliyev’s arrival in Antalya following Erdoğan’s visit to Karabakh in recent days meant the two leaders met for the second time within three days. During the summit, Aliyev’s words “Everything is very beautiful” were one of the highlights of the meeting.
THREE DAYS EARLIER, ERDOĞAN WAS IN AZERBAIJAN
On November 8, President Erdoğan visited Karabakh for Azerbaijan’s Victory Day. The visit, held at the invitation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, was accompanied by Erdoğan’s wife, Emine Erdoğan.
Erdoğan and his accompanying delegation were welcomed by Ilham Aliyev and his wife, Mihriban Aliyeva, at Fuzuli International Airport. The two leaders then went to Shusha, where an official welcoming ceremony was held. The national anthems of both countries were played at the ceremony, and Erdoğan and Aliyev introduced their delegations to each other.
After the ceremony held in front of the Shusha Governorate, the two presidents went to the governorate building for a one-on-one meeting. The agenda of the talks included developing Turkey-Azerbaijan cooperation, bilateral relations, and regional and global developments.
THIS TIME ALIYEV CAME TO TURKEY
Only two days after Erdoğan’s visit to Azerbaijan, on November 10, Ilham Aliyev this time came to Turkey. Aliyev, who came to Antalya to attend the COP31 Leaders Summit, was accompanied by his wife, Mihriban Aliyeva.
Aliyev’s visit took place at the invitation of President Erdoğan. The Azerbaijani leader attended the summit in Antalya and took his place in the international climate talks hosted by Turkey.
Thus, after Erdoğan’s visit to Karabakh, diplomatic contacts between the leaders of the two countries continued in Antalya. Aliyev’s visit to Turkey also drew attention in terms of the reciprocal leader visits that took place on close dates.
ALIYEV’S REMARKABLE WORDS: “EVERYTHING IS VERY BEAUTIFUL”
Meeting with President Erdoğan within the scope of the COP31 Leaders Summit, Aliyev used the phrase “Everything is very beautiful” during the meeting.
The two leaders’ meeting in Antalya carried particular importance because it came immediately after Erdoğan’s visit to Azerbaijan. The meeting, which formed the latest link in high-level contacts between Turkey and Azerbaijan, was also reflected in the diplomatic talks of COP31.
95 COUNTRIES AND 102 LEADERS EXPECTED TO ATTEND IN ANTALYA
The 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is being held in Antalya between November 9 and 20. The Leaders Summit, hosted by President Erdoğan, is expected to be attended by 95 countries and 102 leaders from six continents.
At the summit, heads of state and government are presenting their national statements on their countries’ climate policies. Along with President Erdoğan, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are among the speakers.
On the first day of the Leaders Summit, the theme of “Zero Waste” stood out, while Turkey’s goals in combating climate change, clean energy transition, and sustainable development policies are also on the agenda.
AZERBAIJAN HAD PREVIOUSLY HOSTED COP29
Azerbaijan’s participation in the Antalya summit is also important in terms of the country’s history in international climate diplomacy. In 2024, Azerbaijan hosted the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in its capital, Baku.
With Turkey hosting COP31 this year, the two neighboring countries took their place among countries that have hosted global climate negotiations in different periods. Aliyev’s visit to Antalya also created an opportunity for a new high-level meeting in terms of Turkey-Azerbaijan relations, in addition to the climate agenda.