Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Thursday that Türkiye is working to ensure peace and stability in its region and beyond "at a time of rising global uncertainty," stressing that Ankara "never neglects the Balkans."
Speaking at a joint press conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Erdoğan emphasized regional engagement and highlighted Turkish efforts to promote peace and stability across the Balkans alongside broader diplomatic initiatives.
Erdoğan recalled that the fourth High-Level Cooperation Council meeting between the two countries was last convened on Oct. 11, 2024, in Belgrade, and said significant developments have taken place since then in bilateral relations as well as in regional and global affairs.
He said the two leaders assessed the impact of these developments on their relationship and discussed next steps.
"At a time of rising global uncertainty, Türkiye is working to ensure peace and stability in our region and beyond, and we never neglect the Balkans," he stressed.
During their talks, he noted that they also discussed how to maintain Balkan stability and strengthen regional economic development.
He also highlighted growing economic ties between the two countries.
"Türkiye's total trade volume with Serbia reached $3.5 billion last year as we are moving step by step toward our $5 billion target," he said.
Erdoğan said growing trade and investment ties serve as the driving force behind bilateral relations.
He also announced that Türkiye will participate in EXPO 2027, which Serbia will host in Belgrade, expressing confidence that the event will provide additional opportunities to strengthen economic, commercial, and cultural ties.
He further pointed to the expansion of Turkish investments in Serbia.
"While around 100 Turkish-capital companies were operating in Serbia in 2015, today that number has exceeded 1,500, and the total investment amount has reached $300 million," he noted.
He added that Turkish contractors are supporting housing, road, and infrastructure development in Serbia through more than 100 projects.
The president also reiterated that Türkiye welcomes Serbian investors and encouraged greater reciprocal investment.
He underlined the strengthening tourism links between the two nations.
"Today, Türkiye is the second tourism destination for Serbian tourists," Erdoğan said, adding that Turkish citizens rank first among visitors to Serbia.
He said the growing number of mutual tourist visits reflects both peoples' desire to strengthen people-to-people ties.
The two leaders also discussed increasing flights between their countries to make travel easier and more accessible.
Erdoğan acknowledged Serbia's strong interest in learning Turkish, saying institutions such as the Yunus Emre Institute and the Türkiye Maarif Foundation are working to meet that demand.
He said they also discussed development projects in the Sandzak region, which he described as a bridge of friendship between the two countries, and noted that Türkiye closely follows initiatives aimed at fostering growth there.
Erdoğan congratulated the Muslim community in Serbia on the upcoming holy month of Ramadan.
He also highlighted Türkiye's efforts to promote regional ownership-based initiatives, citing the second meeting of the Balkan Peace Platform hosted in Istanbul on Jan. 23, 2026, and thanked Vucic for his personal support for the platform.
Erdoğan described Vucic's visit as highly valuable for advancing peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.
Lastly, he concluded his words: "God willing, we will also pay a visit to Belgrade and Novi Pazar in May or June with a large delegation."
