Erdoğan on the flight home from Seoul: Azerbaijan trip, Putin call and more

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wrapped up his official visit to Seoul, where South Korean President Lee Jae Myung had invited him, and then took questions from journalists on the plane home. He touched on a lot. Here are the six main points.

1. He plans to visit Azerbaijan on 8 November

Azerbaijan marks its Victory Day on 8 November, and Erdoğan said that, barring anything extraordinary, he intends to be there. He hopes to take "the necessary steps" during the trip. Asked about talk of a crisis between the two countries, he said ties go far beyond classic diplomacy.

2. Plenty of contact has already happened

Erdoğan said he has spoken by phone with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev. He has also sent his intelligence chief and his foreign minister to Baku, and the two couples have been in touch as well.

3. A call with Putin is next

The previous Saturday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Türkiye for talks and a working dinner with Erdoğan, and called for the war to move to a diplomatic phase. Erdoğan now wants to speak with Vladimir Putin to cover the Russian side. His foreign minister and colleagues will prepare Moscow for that conversation.

4. South Korea cooperation goes beyond one or two weapons

Asked about drones and a nuclear plant deal, Erdoğan described defence cooperation as a whole package. It covers everything from the Altay tank and Fırtına howitzers to drones, air defence, naval systems and submarines. The defence ministries will discuss it, he said.

5. A cautious word on the US midterms

Erdoğan wished the American people well and hoped the results would have a positive effect on the region and world politics. He said it is too early for "sharp sentences". He called Turkish-American ties deep and said Türkiye will stay in close contact with the administration, the House and the Senate.

6. "Terror-free Türkiye" and the fund probe

On the process to end the PKK's armed campaign, Erdoğan said it continues within the framework set by law. He said caves beyond Türkiye's borders are being emptied step by step and that verification work is on schedule. The next phase starts once disarmament and verification are complete. On the fund investigation, he said every institution is following the roadmap, there will be no concessions, and "people you never expected" have turned up in these cases.

It was a packed flight, and the next stop on the schedule is Azerbaijan.