Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia deepen trilateral defense ties in Shusha

On Oct. 2 the defence ministers of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia gathered in Shusha for the 13th iteration of their rotating trilateral format, signalling a mature, procedural mechanism for regional security dialogue. Colonel General Zakir Hasanov opened the session by recalling previous meetings in Turkey and Georgia, emphasizing the continuity of the platform. The ministers highlighted centuries-long neighbourly relations and framed their cooperation as a multidimensional strategic partnership that includes joint exercises, training exchanges and defence-technical collaboration.

They pointed to existing energy, rail and communication corridors as vital economic links that also require collective protection, citing drills such as "Eternity" and "Caucasus Eagle" as evidence of growing interoperability. In addition to reaffirming support for the independence and territorial integrity of Georgia and Azerbaijan, they voiced condolences for Turkish personnel killed in a recent aircraft accident. The meeting concluded with a protocol and a joint press briefing, outlining plans to expand exercises, enhance infrastructure security and deepen overall defence cooperation amid global political tension and economic uncertainty.