Turkish President to Make First State Visit to South Korea in 8 Years, Discuss Nuclear Power and Defense Cooperation with President Lee

Summit, MOU Signing Ceremony to Be Held on November 3
Reciprocal Visit Following President Lee's State Visit Last Year
Korean Peninsula, Middle East Developments Also to Be Discussed
Cooperation to Be Strengthened Ahead of 70th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will make a state visit to South Korea from November 2 to 4. It will be the first state visit to South Korea by a Turkish president in eight years, since 2018. Erdogan is scheduled to hold a summit with President Lee Jae-myung to discuss ways to expand cooperation in strategic industries, including nuclear power and the defense industry. The visit is expected to further strengthen the countries' strategic partnership in economic and security affairs ahead of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year.

President Lee Jaemyung and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shake hands after delivering a joint press statement at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkiye, on the 24th (local time). Nov. 25, 2025. Yonhap News Agency.

Kang Yoo-jung, senior presidential spokesperson, announced the schedule for Erdogan's state visit in a written briefing on November 1. The visit will begin with an official welcoming ceremony on November 3, followed by a summit with Lee, a signing ceremony for memorandums of understanding (MOUs), and a state banquet.

The visit is a reciprocal one, coming about a year after Lee's state visit to Turkey in November 2025. The two leaders will meet again about four months after they met on the sidelines of the NATO summit held in Ankara, Turkey, in July 2026.

The summit is expected to focus on reviewing progress in cooperation projects agreed on last year and turning them into tangible results. Key agenda items will include expanding trade and investment, as well as cooperation in nuclear power and the defense industry. The leaders will also discuss expanding cooperation in future industries such as biotechnology, energy, and science and technology, and promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

In addition to economic cooperation, the two leaders are expected to exchange views on major international issues, including developments on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East. Given Turkey's status as a major NATO member and its influence in the Middle East, attention is also focused on ways to strengthen diplomatic and security cooperation between the two countries.

Turkey was one of the major countries that sent troops to fight in the Korean War, and has maintained a close historical relationship with South Korea. The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1957 and have expanded cooperation in various areas, including politics, the economy, and culture, since establishing a strategic partnership in 2012.

Kang said, "We expect President Erdogan's state visit to serve as an opportunity to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries ahead of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2027."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.