President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to hold a critical meeting in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.
The two leaders will meet face to face on September 1, 2026, during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of State Summit.
President Erdoğan arrived in Bishkek on August 31 to attend the summit. He is scheduled to address the summit's extended session and hold bilateral meetings with various leaders as part of the program.
The Kremlin confirms the Erdoğan-Putin meeting
Russia provided an official statement on the planned meeting between Erdoğan and Putin.
Yuri Ushakov, the Russian president's foreign policy adviser, announced that Putin would meet President Erdoğan in Bishkek on September 1.
Ushakov said the meeting's key agenda items would include the Russia-Ukraine war and developments in the Black Sea.
The two leaders are also expected to discuss ways to strengthen trade and economic relations between Türkiye and Russia.
The Ukraine war will be a key item on the agenda
The Russia-Ukraine war is expected to be one of the most critical topics of the Erdoğan-Putin meeting.
Türkiye is among the countries that have maintained direct contact with both Moscow and Kyiv since the start of the war.
Ankara has also actively sought to restart diplomatic negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, while Istanbul has hosted direct talks between the two countries.
The Erdoğan-Putin meeting in Bishkek is expected to address the current state of the war, efforts to find a diplomatic solution and possible negotiation processes.
Developments in the Black Sea will be discussed
The situation in the Black Sea was another issue specifically highlighted by the Kremlin ahead of the meeting.
The Black Sea has become one of the critical regions for military security, maritime transportation, energy infrastructure and grain trade since the Russia-Ukraine war began.
In addition to having a coastline on the Black Sea, Türkiye's control of the Istanbul and Çanakkale straits has increased Ankara's diplomatic and strategic importance in the region.
For this reason, Black Sea security and the latest developments in the region are expected to be important agenda items in the meeting between Erdoğan and Putin.
Economic relations are also on the agenda
The Erdoğan-Putin meeting will address more than regional and international developments.
Issues concerning the development of the trade and economic partnership between Türkiye and Russia are also expected to be on the agenda.
The two countries maintain significant economic ties in many areas, particularly energy, natural gas, tourism, trade and investment.
Cooperation in the energy sector remains one of the most important areas of Türkiye-Russia relations.
Erdoğan is in Bishkek for the SCO Summit
President Erdoğan traveled to Bishkek to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit at the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov.
In addition to addressing the summit's extended session, Erdoğan is scheduled to hold various bilateral contacts with the leaders of participating countries.
Although Türkiye is not a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, it has held dialogue partner status in the organization since 2012.
Ankara's relations with the SCO are important to Türkiye's diplomatic and economic ties with Central Asia and the broader Eurasian region.
The world's attention turns to Bishkek
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit is bringing key actors in world politics together in Bishkek.
The summit is expected to address a range of critical issues, from the Russia-Ukraine war and regional security to energy policies, trade routes and economic cooperation across Eurasia.
For Türkiye, one of the most closely watched meetings at the summit will be the September 1 meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Statements from the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye and the Kremlin following the meeting will be closely watched for their implications for the future of diplomatic efforts concerning the Russia-Ukraine war, developments in the Black Sea and the course of Türkiye-Russia relations.
