Turkish Foreign Minister to Represent President Erdogan at SEECP Summit

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will represent President Erdoğan at the SEECP summit in Sofia, where Balkan leaders will discuss regional cooperation, stability, and development. The meeting will also address wider issues including the Russia–Ukraine war and Middle East tensions, with Türkiye expected to push for stronger connectivity, dialogue, and peace efforts.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will represent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Summit in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Ministry sources have said. The meeting, held under Bulgaria’s rotating chairmanship, will focus on strengthening regional unity and cooperation under the theme marking 30 years of partnership and progress among Balkan states.
The summit is expected to bring together heads of state and government, foreign ministers from 13 participating countries, and representatives of the Regional Cooperation Council. A joint declaration is also expected to be adopted at the end of the meeting.
Fidan is expected to reiterate Türkiye’s commitment to deeper Balkan cooperation based on inclusiveness and regional ownership, while stressing Ankara’s support for the SEECP as a key dialogue platform. He is also expected to highlight the strategic importance of the Balkans for regional and international security, along with the need for stronger good-neighbourly relations.
In addition, the Turkish foreign minister is expected to emphasize Türkiye’s backing for major connectivity initiatives, including transport and energy projects aimed at boosting regional integration and economic development. He is also expected to reaffirm Ankara’s support for diplomatic efforts toward a just and lasting peace in the Russia–Ukraine war, as well as continued dialogue between Iran and the United States to reduce regional tensions.
Fidan is also expected to address broader Middle East issues, criticizing Israel’s policies in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and Lebanon, which he is expected to describe as contributing to instability and conflict, and to call for stronger international adherence to international law and humanitarian principles.
The SEECP, founded in 1996, is the only regional cooperation platform that includes all Balkan countries. Its members include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, and Türkiye. Romania is scheduled to assume the rotating chairmanship of the organisation on July 1, 2026.