Istanbul: Trkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday met with his Romanian counterpart Nicusor Dan in Istanbul, according to the Turkish Presidency. The meeting, which took place at the Istanbul Shipyard Command, followed the handover of the patrol vessel TCG Akhisar/OPV "CAm. Roman" to the Romanian Naval Forces Command, as stated by the presidency on the social media platform X.

According to Anadolu Agency, Erdogan and Dan engaged in discussions about bilateral relations between Trkiye and Romania, as well as regional and global developments. The Turkish Communications Directorate highlighted that Erdogan expressed Trkiye's commitment to enhancing cooperation with Romania across various sectors, notably trade, defense, and security. Erdogan emphasized the ongoing efforts to further bolster the bilateral ties between the two nations.

During the meeting, Erdogan stressed the importance of close collaboration between Trkiye and Romania concerning Black Sea-related issues. He noted that Ankara is diligently coordinating with other littoral states to maintain and ensure security in the Black Sea. Additionally, Erdogan articulated Trkiye's active role in promoting peace in Iran and the potential impact of these efforts on resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The closed-door meeting included the presence of key Turkish officials such as National Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci, Chief of the General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, and the president's chief adviser on security and foreign policy, Ambassador Akif Cagatay Kilic.