Prospects for Azerbaijan–Türkiye ties in 2026 will largely depend on regional peace efforts and the broader geopolitical environment in the South Caucasus according to a regional analyst.
Yashar Sarı, Director of the Heydar Aliyev Center for Eurasian Studies in Türkiye, while speaking to AnewZ said that relations between Ankara and Baku are already anchored in a solid strategic framework, leaving future milestones closely tied to developments in the wider South Caucasus.
“Türkiye and Azerbaijan have both economic and security strategic partnership agreements,” Sarı said, pointing to the Shusha Declaration, signed on 15 June 2021, as the cornerstone of bilateral ties.
The Shusha Declaration on allied relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Türkiye elevated cooperation to alliance status, encompassing defence, political coordination, economic cooperation and cultural ties.
The agreement was signed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the city of Shusha, and has since been ratified by the parliaments of both countries, formalising its legal status.
Sarı also noted that the partnership has since moved beyond political symbolism.
In July 2025, Türkiye and Azerbaijan signed a memorandum aimed at strengthening mutual military security, expanding cooperation on joint military exercises, defence industry projects and interoperability between their armed forces.
This development was reflected in parliamentary discussions in Baku towards the end of 2025, highlighting the increasing institutional depth of defence cooperation.
Vitality of regional peace
Despite these advances, Sarı stressed that unresolved regional issues remain a key limiting factor. He argued that a comprehensive settlement between Azerbaijan and Armenia would significantly ease constraints on Ankara-Baku cooperation.
The expert said that the restoration of diplomatic relations with Armenia on both sides would make the cooperation "much easier, much closer in that sense.”
Analysts say ongoing negotiations between Baku and Yerevan on border delimitation and a broader peace treaty remain critical for the region’s future.
According to recent reporting, Türkiye’s foreign minister has reaffirmed that normalisation of Türkiye–Armenia relations is linked to a final peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The Shusha Declaration itself places strong emphasis on restoring regional transport links and fostering long-term stability in the South Caucasus, reflecting broader strategic goals shared by both capitals.
Policy forums and expert meetings held in Shusha and Istanbul in late 2025 have highlighted the role of such connectivity in strengthening cooperation across political, economic and cultural spheres.
Observers say the focus of bilateral relations is likely to centre on implementing existing agreements rather than announcing new frameworks.
This includes translating defence commitments into operational cooperation and expanding economic and diplomatic coordination should progress be made on the peace front.
Sarı concluded that while Azerbaijan and Türkiye already maintain one of the closest strategic partnerships in the region, a breakthrough in the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace process would represent the most significant milestone.
This would allow bilateral cooperation to advance to a more integrated and less constrained phase.
The 81st UN General Assembly returns for its third day in New York on Thursday, with world leaders delivering high-level speeches and holding diplo...
The U.S. Senate narrowly rejected a resolution on Thursday that would have required President Donald Trump to end the war in Iran or seek congressi...
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday, 24 September, for talks focused on trad...
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low on Thursday, as Iran reiterated that it will neither enter into new negotiations with the United States nor re-open the Strait as long as its conditions are not met, despite recent indirect talks in New York mediated by Qatar.
As the Ukraine war is highlighted by some leaders during the United Nations' 81st General Assembly meeting in New York, Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Thursday with ballistic missiles, killing two people and injuring six, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York on Wednesday, as Washington pushes for an end to the war in Ukraine and Kyiv and Moscow continue to strike energy infrastructure.
The 81st UN General Assembly continues in New York on Wednesday, with another day of high-level speeches and diplomatic meetings. The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, global security and international cooperation remain at the centre of discussions.
U.S. President Donald Trump said his team held a three-hour meeting with an Iranian delegation in New York that he described as “very good” and “productive”, with another round of talks scheduled soon.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says Yerevan wants to deepen ties with Moscow while strengthening its partnership with the European Union as part of a balanced foreign policy.
For decades, the Strait of Hormuz has been one of the Gulf’s main gateways to the world. Now, months of disruption are pushing regional governments to invest in alternative routes and move more cargo around the strategic waterway.
Germany will keep its Patriot air-defence system deployed in eastern Türkiye until April 2027 as NATO bolsters its defences against regional missile threats.
11 of 19 Kazakh servicemen swept into the Caspian Sea during military exercises in the Mangystau region have died, Kazakhstan’s Defence Ministry said on Thursday.
U.S. officials drafted a statement for Secretary of State Marco Rubio in early September condemning UK, French and Canadian plans to block imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, but it was never released.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment