Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met Iranian President Mesud Pezeşkiyan on 4 July in Hankendi, Azerbaijan, ahead of the 17th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization. The encounter marked the first face-to-face meeting between the leaders since Pezeşkiyan took office in August 2024. The discussion took place on the margins of the regional summit, which is expected to focus on economic integration, trade and climate-related cooperation among member states. Details of the bilateral talks were not immediately disclosed, but both Ankara and Tehran have signalled interest in expanding energy and trade links amid shifting geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East and the Caucasus.