Erdogan attends China’s Heads of State Council meeting of SCO

(MENAFN) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in China on Sunday to participate as a guest of honor in the 25th Heads of State Council meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Erdogan was greeted at Binhai International Airport by Chinese minister Lei Haichao, Türkiye's Ambassador to Beijing Selcuk Unal, and embassy staff. He was accompanied by First Lady Emine Erdogan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, and other ministers and officials.

During his visit, Erdogan is scheduled to attend a dinner hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday. He will also address Monday’s expanded summit session and hold meetings with Xi and other leaders in Tianjin, according to Türkiye’s Communications Director Burhanettin Duran.

The summit comes amid rising geopolitical tensions, including Israel’s conflict in Gaza, the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, and international trade disputes. Xi, serving as the rotating chair, will preside over China’s fifth SCO-hosted session.

Leaders from more than 20 countries, along with heads of 10 international organizations, are participating, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masood Pezeshkian, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev are also in attendance.

The SCO originated from the “Shanghai Five” framework, initially consisting of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, before Uzbekistan joined as the sixth member. Today, it includes 10 member states, two observers, and 14 dialogue partners across Asia, Europe, and Africa.

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