Erdogan discusses stronger bilateral, defence ties with Bolivia's Paz

Detailed summary

Ankara sees Bolivia as key partner in Latin America, says President Erdogan during meeting, stressing importance of deepening cooperation in various fields, particularly defence.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Bolivian counterpart, Rodrigo Paz Pereira, have discussed bilateral relations and regional issues during a meeting in Istanbul.

Türkiye considers Bolivia an important partner in Latin America, Erdogan said during Saturday's meeting, stressing the need to deepen cooperation in several fields, particularly the defence industry, according to a statement from Türkiye's Communications Directorate.

Erdogan also said agreements currently under discussion, based on a "win-win" approach, would strengthen the legal framework governing relations between the two countries.

He added that Türkiye and Bolivia could take further steps to expand cooperation in areas with significant potential, particularly mining.

The meeting comes as Türkiye seeks to expand its diplomatic and economic presence across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Ankara has stepped up high-level diplomatic exchanges, trade partnerships and cooperation in areas including defence, investment and development.

Türkiye's diplomatic and consular representation in the region has tripled under its Latin America and Caribbean Action Plan, while bilateral trade has increased fifteenfold, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

The ministry also reported that trade with the region approached $13 billion in 2025.

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