Top Turkish and Uzbek officials meet at first ‘4+4’ meeting in Ankara

Türkiye and Uzbekistan have established a new institutional framework for security and foreign policy coordination. Held in Ankara on Tuesday (20 January), the first meeting in the “4+4” format assembled the Turkish and Uzbek ministers for foreign affairs, defense, the interior, and intelligence.

Speaking before the meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that longstanding ties between Türkiye and Uzbekistan represented a “strong partnership,” encompassing historical, cultural, and geostrategic dimensions. Addressing reporters, Fidan said the new 4+4 format was aimed at further enhancing bilateral ties, stressing that joint work in this regard remained ongoing.

According to the foreign minister, the new meeting format allows top officials of the two friendly nations to discuss pressing issues of common concern with optimal transparency. Fidan went on to note that Türkiye-Uzbekistan trade relations were “exceptionally good,” describing efforts by both countries on behalf of the wider Turkic world as “truly remarkable.”

Analysts, meanwhile, say the launch of the 4+4 format reflects the increasingly rapid development of bilateral ties in recent years. Yaşar Sarı, a professor of international relations at Istanbul’s Ibn Haldun University, said Türkiye-Uzbekistan ties had deepened significantly since 2016, when Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev came to power.

Sarı, who specialises in Eurasian affairs, emphasised that bilateral ties are particularly strong in the fields of trade and defense. “Bilateral trade volumes have tripled over the past five years, while institutional relations have developed over the same period,” he told AnewZ.

“Uzbekistan has purchased Turkish weapons systems and the two countries have adopted a joint approach to Afghanistan." Sarı added that the “changing international system” had served to create fresh opportunities for Turkish-Uzbek cooperation, “especially in defence and intelligence.”

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