President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan maintained an intense schedule of international engagements throughout 2024, making 19 visits to 17 countries and participating in global summits.
In 2024, President Erdoğan engaged in active diplomatic efforts to address regional and global challenges, particularly Israel's attacks on Palestine.
President Erdoğan visited 17 countries through official visits and summits while hosting heads of state and government from 18 countries. President Erdoğan also made numerous domestic visits, including the delivery of earthquake houses and the inauguration of multiple projects.
Visits abroad
President Erdoğan conducted his first international visit of the year on February 13 to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where he attended the World Government Summit as the guest of honour under the theme "Shaping Future Governments."
President Erdoğan travelled to Cairo, the capital of Egypt, on February 14 upon the invitation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt.
On April 22, President Erdoğan paid an official visit to Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, where he met with President Abdul Latif Rashid of Iraq and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani of Iraq and received representatives from the Iraqi Turkmen community and the Iraqi Sunni community. After his contacts in Baghdad, President Erdoğan travelled to Erbil, where he met with President Nechirvan Barzani of the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (IKRG) as well as Prime Minister Masrour Barzani of the IKRG.
On June 12, President Erdoğan travelled to Madrid, the capital of Spain, to attend the 8th Türkiye-Spain Intergovernmental Summit, where he met with King Felipe VI of Spain and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of Spain, attended the signing ceremony of joint agreements and held a joint press conference with Mr Sanchez.
Following his contacts in Spain, President Erdoğan travelled to Brindisi, Italy, on June 14 to attend the G-7 Leaders' Summit and met with President Joe Biden of the United States and President Emmanuel Macron of France before the session.
President Erdoğan held meetings with the Head of the Vatican City State Pope Francis, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune of Algeria, King Abdullah II of Jordan, President of the European Council Charles Michel, President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit
President Erdoğan met with the leaders of Russia, China, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Mongolia, Belarus, and Qatar during his visit to Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, on July 3 to attend the 24th Summit of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
On July 6, President Erdoğan visited Berlin to watch the Netherlands-Türkiye quarterfinal match of the European Football Championship 2024 (EURO 2024) in Germany.
On July 9, President Erdoğan held bilateral meetings with leaders including President Emmanuel Macron of France, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany on the sidelines of the NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in Washington D.C., capital of the USA.
On July 20, President Erdoğan attended events in Nicosia, the capital of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, where he went on July 20 to attend the ceremonies commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation and the July 20 Peace and Freedom Day.
President Erdoğan came to New York, USA, on July 22 to attend the 79th General Assembly of the UN and develop contacts. He spoke with several leaders at the Summit and conducted extensive diplomatic activity.
President Erdoğan met with President Aleksandar Vučić of Serbia, President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, President Sissoco Embaló of Guinea Bissau, and received Chancellor Scholz of Germany, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece, Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah of Kuwait, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, Prime Minister Edi Rama of Albania, Prime Minister Najib Mikati of Lebanon, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani of Iraq, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia, Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan, Secretary-General António Guterres of the United Nations, and Prosecutor Karim Khan of the International Criminal Court.
President Erdoğan met with President Bayram Begay of Albania and Prime Minister Edi Rama during his official visit to Tirana, the capital of Albania, on October 10. During the signing ceremony of joint agreements between Türkiye and Albania, President Erdoğan held a press conference with Rama and opened the Tirana Namazgâh Mosque, the largest mosque in the Balkans funded by Türkiye. Following his visit to Albania, President Erdoğan travelled to Zagreb to attend the Fourth Meeting of the High-Level Cooperation Council with President Vucic of Serbia.
BRICS Summit
President Erdoğan visited Tatarstan on October 23 to participate in the BRICS Summit in Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia and thereafter travelled to Kazakhstan for the 11th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Organisation of Turkic States on November 4.
President Erdoğan, who went to Budapest, the capital of Hungary, on November 7 to attend the 5th Summit of the European Political Community, met with President Emmanuel Macron of France, received Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark, Prime Minister Dick Schoof of the Netherlands, Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte, and spoke with President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
On November 11, President Erdoğan travelled to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, to attend the Extraordinary Joint Summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation-Arab League, and afterwards, he departed for Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, the same evening after concluding his meetings in Riyadh to attend the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change, which was held in Baku.
On November 17, President Erdoğan attended the G20 Leaders Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and met with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia, President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of Spain, President Emmanuel Macron of France, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia.
President Erdoğan's last foreign visit of the year was to Egypt. President Erdoğan went to Cairo, the capital of Egypt, on December 19 to attend the 11th D8 Summit Meeting. Speaking at the summit meeting and the "Special Session on the Situation in Palestine and Lebanon," President Erdoğan met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, and President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran.
In addition, President Erdoğan paid 73 visits to 53 cities outside of Ankara and Istanbul, where he attended mass opening ceremonies and organisations.
Hosted guests
President Erdoğan hosted numerous heads of state and government in 2024.
President Erdoğan's first guest was former President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran on January 24.
President Erdoğan hosted President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan on February 19, President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine on March 5, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine on March 8 at the Presidential Complex.
On April 18, President Erdoğan hosted President Samia Suluhu Hassan of the United Republic of Tanzania, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of the Federal Republic of Germany on April 24, Emir Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait on May 7, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan on June 6, and met with President Aliyev of Azerbaijan once more on June 10.
President Erdoğan hosted President Alar Karis of the Republic of Estonia on June 27, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt on September 4, President Alexander Stubb of the Republic of Finland on October 1, President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye of the Republic of Senegal on October 31, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar on November 14, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said of Oman on November 28, and President Jakov Milatovic of Montenegro on December 2.
Somaliland crisis resolved in Ankara
The Somaliland crisis between Ethiopia and Somalia, two countries in the Horn of Africa, is moving towards a peaceful resolution thanks to Türkiye's mediation.
President Erdoğan hosted President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali of Ethiopia in Ankara on December 11, where they reached an agreement to resolve the crisis between the two countries that has persisted for nearly a year.
President Erdoğan met with President Tamas Sulyok of Hungary at the Presidential Complex on December 12. President Erdoğan attended the Closing Event of the Turkish-Hungarian Cultural Year with President Tamas Sulyok of Hungary and Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary. President Erdoğan hosted Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar on December 17.
Telephone diplomacy
Conducting intensive diplomacy traffic, President Erdoğan held telephone conversations with world leaders, including President Biden of the USA, President Vladimir Putin of Russia, former President Reisi of Iran, President Aliyev of Azerbaijan, and Head of State Pope Francis of Vatican City.
President Erdoğan had more phone calls with Putin than with any other leader. President Erdoğan, who spoke with Putin 7 times on the phone, discussed the developments in Ukraine, Palestine, and Syria.
Syria talks
President Erdoğan conducted intensive diplomacy traffic, particularly after the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, and discussed the developments in the region with many leaders with whom he spoke by phone.
President Erdoğan, committed to fostering peace and stability in the region following the establishment of the interim administration in Syria, held his first meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on December 10. President Erdoğan also spoke with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan on the same day.
President Erdoğan, who had a phone conversation with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy, continued his telephone diplomacy with President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission. President Erdoğan also met with Leyen at the Presidential Complex and held phone conversations with Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany and President Emmanuel Macron of France.
President Erdoğan also received Secretary of State Antony Blinken of the USA at Esenboğa Airport on December 12.