The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit held in Tianjin (August 31 – September 1, 2025) stands out as the most broadly attended summit in the organization’s 24-year history. This summit highlights the reinterpretation of the “Shanghai Spirit,” the pursuit of high-quality development, and the strengthening of global governance. Concrete steps are also expected in key areas such as digital transformation, security cooperation, and economic integration. With the signing of the planned “Tianjin Declaration” and the “SCO Development Strategy for the Next Ten Years,” the organization’s policies for the coming decade will formally take shape.
Since 2012, Türkiye has held the status of “dialogue partner” and has been invited to SCO meetings at various intervals. This year’s invitation came through a special letter personally sent by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Thus, Türkiye has taken its place at the table, aiming to have a say in both regional security and economic cooperation agendas.
On Sunday morning, August 31, 2025, President Erdoğan arrived in Tianjin to attend the summit. According to the announcement by the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, President Erdoğan is scheduled to address the extended-format summit session on Monday, September 1, 2025. In addition, President Erdoğan’s message titled “A Shared Path to Peace and Justice” was published in English on the website of People’s Daily (人民日报), the official publication of the Communist Party of China. We hereby share it with you:
Türkiye has, throughout history, been a country that builds bridges and brings civilisations together. At the core of our foreign policy lies the establishment of trust, maintaining open channels of communication, and demonstrating a resolute commitment to resolving crises. With this understanding, we contribute significantly to both regional and global stability, striving tirelessly for peace, stability, and dialogue to prevail.
We have developed practical solutions to mitigate the impact of global crises fuelled by the Russia-Ukraine war, such as the Black Sea Grain Initiative. This initiative ensured food security for millions of people around the world. By bringing the parties together for peace negotiations in Antalya and Istanbul, we were able to maintain diplomatic traffic while also ensuring the opening of humanitarian corridors. We also played a critical role in prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine. Most recently, by hosting the renewed peace talks in Istanbul in July 2025, we further expanded our contribution to the process. Guided by the principle that “There are no winners in war and no losers in a fair peace,” we continue to pursue our peace diplomacy with patience.
On the other hand, today our world is shaken by crises of unprecedented scale and complexity. Unfortunately, the current international system falls short in addressing these crises and in safeguarding the rights of the innocent. The events unfolding in Gaza, including the brutality and genocide committed by Israel, stand as some of the most striking examples of this reality. Türkiye’s stance on Gaza is clear because human beings and human rights are at the centre of our politics. Our efforts to ensure the security of the civilian population, uninterrupted access to humanitarian aid, and a lasting ceasefire continue to increase. While providing humanitarian aid to those in need on the ground, we also continue to utilise diplomacy to promote the implementation of a ceasefire and the protection of innocent civilians. The guarantee of a lasting peace on the Palestinian issue is evident to us: a fully independent and sovereign Palestinian State must be established, based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The establishment of a Palestinian State is essential for achieving lasting peace throughout the region.
Steps towards regional peace must be taken on multiple fronts. Economic ties, infrastructure projects, energy collaborations, and cultural exchange are all institutional elements that contribute to building trust. Through its projects in various geographies, Türkiye will continue to be an actor in improving global stability, expanding humanitarian aid capacity, and developing solutions on multilateral platforms.
The 25th Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Heads of State, scheduled to take place in Tianjin, one of China’s ancient cities, from August 31 to September 1, 2025, will provide an important platform for Türkiye to convey its views on regional and global issues. As a Dialogue Partner at this summit, Türkiye regards it as a fundamental responsibility to bring to the fore the necessity of reshaping regional peace, development, security, and economic matters, as well as justice, equity, and a more inclusive understanding of the global order in international relations.
Türkiye and the People’s Republic of China, with their strong state traditions, determined approach to development, and expanding economies, represent two ancient civilisations on the eastern and western edges of the Asian continent. The history of relations between our peoples extends back thousands of years. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Türkiye and the People’s Republic of China in 1971, comprehensive political, economic, social and cultural relations have shown steady development. We attach great importance to furthering this deep-rooted and close cooperation, based on mutual respect and a win-win approach.
During my visit to China on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit, I will meet with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China. First and foremost, I hope that this meeting will contribute to strengthening mutual trust and advancing our bilateral relations.
As Türkiye, we shape the present with the strength and experience gained in the past, and we build the future on the foundation of peace, trust, and cooperation. Each step we take, starting with our region, opens up new horizons for the globe. As we go through “strange times,” we will continue to shoulder responsibility with the determination to build trust, keep channels of dialogue open, and resolve crises. We believe that the consolidation of the international community, in which the People’s Republic of China plays a leading role, around a collective conscience and common interests will pave the way for a fairer and more prosperous world.
(The author is the President of Türkiye.)
Source: People’s Daily https://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0831/c90000-20359525.html
