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Leaders to meet in Seoul
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will make a state visit to South Korea from Tuesday through Thursday, his first such trip to the country since 2018, South Korea’s presidential office said.
Erdogan and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung are scheduled to meet Wednesday afternoon following an official welcome ceremony. Their itinerary also includes a summit, the signing of memorandums of understanding and a state dinner.
The leaders last met about four months ago at a NATO summit in Ankara. Their most recent bilateral summit took place during Lee’s state visit to Turkey in November last year.
Nuclear energy and defense on agenda
Lee and Erdogan are expected to review projects stemming from their previous summit and discuss trade, investment, nuclear power and defense cooperation. Talks will also cover biotechnology, energy, science and technology, cultural exchanges and developments on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East.
South Korea and Turkey signed a free trade agreement in 2012 that took effect the following year. Bilateral trade totaled $50.8 billion from 2021 through 2025, including $11.4 billion in 2025. Trade reached $3.7 billion in the first four months of 2026.
South Korea’s state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. and Turkey’s nuclear energy company, TÜNAŞ, signed a cooperation agreement last November covering technical information, site assessments, licensing, financing and workforce training. The countries are reviewing a potential nuclear power project in Sinop on Turkey’s Black Sea coast, though it has not reached the contract stage.
Defense ties include Turkey’s Altay tank program, which has drawn on South Korea’s experience developing the K2 tank. South Korean companies supply the Altay’s power pack, which combines its engine and transmission systems.
Long-standing strategic partnership
South Korea and Turkey established diplomatic relations in 1957 and formed a strategic partnership in 2012. Turkey was also among the countries that sent troops to support South Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War, a connection that remains an important part of the countries’ relationship.
South Korea’s presidential office said Erdogan’s visit is expected to strengthen the partnership ahead of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2027.
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