In Baku, Hakan Fidan is representing Turkey at the seventh CICA summit. He intends to promote multilateralism and address Gaza's humanitarian crisis during the Azerbaijani-hosted forum.
Infrastructure as diplomacy: The Middle Corridor and Development Road
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is positioning Türkiye as a central architect of Asian economic integration. As reported by the source, Fidan intends to champion major infrastructure projects, specifically the Middle Corridor and the Development Road, to deepen trade links across the continent. These initiatives are designed to enhance regional connectivity and provide more robust economic pathways between East and West.
By emphasizing these corridors, Ankara is attempting to leverage its geographic position to become an indispensable hub for trans-continental trade. This strategy aligns with broader efforts to move away from fragmented regional economies toward a more inntegrated Asian market, ensuring that Türkiye remains a vital link in global supply chains.
A condemnation of the Gaza genocide at the Baku summit
The diplomatic agenda in Baku will include a sharp critique of Israel's actions in the Palestinian territories. Hakan Fidan is scheduled to condemn the ongoing genocide in Gaza, specifically targeting illegal settlement expansions and the obstruction of humanitarian aid. The Turkish Foreign Minister's stance reflects a broader push for UN-centered multilateralism to resolve such geopolitical crises.
This focus on Gaza serves a dual purpose:it addresses a critical humanitarian emergency while reinforcing Türkiye's role as a leading voice for the Global South within international forums. the summit provides a high-profile stage for Fidan to demand collective solutions based on mutual trust and regional ownership.
Azerbaijan's drive to transform CICA into a formal international organization
Azerbaijan is currently utilizing its 2024-2026 chairmanship to push for a fundamental evolution of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). The goal is to transition the current dialogue platform into a fully-fledged international organization. This shift comes as the group expands, with Laos recently announced as a new member.
The scale of CICA is immense, encompassing 28 member states that represent:
- Approximately 90 percent of the Asian landmass.
- More than half of the global population.
As the report indicates, this makes the group's institutional evolution a matter of significant global consequence. Türkiye, a founding member, remains a key player in coordinating portfolios related to counterterrorism and military-political cooperation.
The challenge of defining AI digital sovereignty and COP31 goals
While the summit covers a wide array of topics, several critical areas remain subject to debate and implementation. One major question is how member states will practically define and enforce a "human-centered approach" to artificial intelligence that protects digital sovereignty. The source mentions Fidan's urge for this approach, but the specific regulatory frameworks that would satisfy 28 diverse nations remain unstated.
Furthermore, while Türkiye has reaffirmed its climate commitmentts ahead of its role as the future host of COP31, the specific rodamap for how CICA members will align their sustainable development goals with these international standards is still unclear . It remains to be seen whether the Baku Declaration will include binding commitments or merely aspirational language regarding these emerging technological and environmental challenges.
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