Turkish, East Timorese presidents to visit S. Korea this week for talks with Lee

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and East Timorese President Jose Ramos-Horta will separately visit South Korea this week for talks with President Lee Jae Myung. Erdogan is scheduled to visit from Monday through Wednesday, with a summit on Tuesday covering bilateral cooperation and regional issues. Horta will visit from Thursday through Saturday, with a summit and memorandum-signing ceremony scheduled for Friday.

Erdogan’s visit will be his first trip to South Korea since 2018 and the second meeting between him and Lee since Lee visited Turkey last November for a NATO summit in Ankara.

The leaders of South Korea and Turkey are expected to discuss trade, investment, the defense industry, nuclear power plants and other future industries, as well as the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East.

Horta’s visit is the first by an East Timorese leader to South Korea since the countries established diplomatic relations in 2002.

Lee and Horta are expected to discuss diplomacy, security, intellectual property, climate change, human exchanges and international issues.

The Friday program with Horta includes a signing ceremony for memorandums of understanding, an official luncheon and a joint press announcement.

Published Nov 1, 2026 8:48 pm KST

Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gives an opening speech during the 39th session of the Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC), in Istanbul, Turkey, Dec. 4, 2023. AP-Yonhap

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and East Timorese President Jose Ramos-Horta will separately visit South Korea this week to hold summits with President Lee Jae Myung, a presidential spokesperson said Sunday.

Erdogan is set to visit to South Korea from Monday through Wednesday on a state visit that will include a summit with Lee on Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Kang Yun-hung said.

It marks Erdogan's first trip to South Korea since 2018, as well as the second meeting between the South Korean and Turkish leaders since Lee visited Turkey last November to attend a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara.

During Tuesday's summit, the leaders are expected to discuss ways to boost bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, the defense industry, nuclear power plants and other future industries, while sharing views on the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East.

Kang said the upcoming trip by Erdogan is expected to help further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries ahead of their 70th anniversary next year of establishing diplomatic relations.

The East Timorese president is, meanwhile, schedule to visit South Korea from Thursday through Saturday on an official visit, marking the first trip to South Korea by an East Timorese leader since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 2002.

The upcoming trip is taking place at the invitation of Lee, Kang also said.

Lee and Horta will hold a summit on Friday, followed by a signing ceremony for memorandums of understanding between the two countries, an official luncheon and a joint press announcement.

The two leaders are expected to explore ways to enhance tangible cooperation in various fields, including diplomacy, security, intellectual property, climate change and human exchanges, while exchanging views on international issues, Kang noted.

Horta's visit will serve to deepen cooperation between the two countries and may help South Korea contribute to East Timor's sustainable development as well as regional peace and prosperity, the spokesperson said.

土耳其总统雷杰普·塔伊普·埃尔多安和东帝汶总统若泽·拉莫斯-奥尔塔本周将分别访问韩国，与韩国总统李在明举行会谈。埃尔多安总统计划于周一至周三访问韩国，并于周二举行峰会，讨论双边合作和地区问题。奥尔塔总统计划于周四至周六访问韩国，并于周五举行峰会和签署谅解备忘录仪式。

埃尔多安此次访问将是他自 2018 年以来首次访问韩国，也是他与李在镕自去年 11 月李在安卡拉出席北约峰会以来的第二次会面。

预计韩国和土耳其领导人将讨论贸易、投资、国防工业、核电站和其他未来产业，以及朝鲜半岛和中东问题。

霍尔塔此次访问是东帝汶领导人自2002年两国建交以来首次访问韩国。

预计李和霍塔将讨论外交、安全、知识产权、气候变化、人类交流和国际问题。

周五与霍尔塔的活动安排包括谅解备忘录签署仪式、正式午餐和联合新闻发布会。

发布于2026年11月1日晚上8:48（韩国标准时间）

2023年12月4日，土耳其总统雷杰普·塔伊普·埃尔多安在土耳其伊斯坦布尔举行的伊斯兰合作组织经济和商业合作委员会（COMCEC）第39届会议上发表开幕致辞。（美联社-韩联社）

韩国总统发言人周日表示，土耳其总统雷杰普·塔伊普·埃尔多安和东帝汶总统若泽·拉莫斯·奥尔塔将于本周分别访问韩国，与韩国总统李在明举行峰会。

总统发言人康允雄表示，埃尔多安将于周一至周三对韩国进行国事访问，其中包括周二与李明博举行峰会。

这是埃尔多安自 2018 年以来首次访问韩国，也是自李明博去年 11 月访问土耳其出席在安卡拉举行的北大西洋公约组织（北约）峰会以来，韩土两国领导人的第二次会晤。

在周二的峰会上，预计两国领导人将讨论如何加强在贸易、投资、国防工业、核电站和其他未来产业领域的双边合作，同时就朝鲜半岛和中东局势交换意见。

康表示，埃尔多安即将进行的访问有望在两国建交70周年之际，进一步加强两国之间的战略伙伴关系。

与此同时，东帝汶总统计划于本周四至周六对韩国进行正式访问，这将是自两国于 2002 年建立外交关系以来，东帝汶领导人首次访问韩国。

康还表示，此次行程是应李的邀请进行的。

李和霍塔将于周五举行峰会，随后将举行两国谅解备忘录签署仪式、正式午宴和联合新闻发布会。

康表示，两国领导人预计将探讨如何加强在外交、安全、知识产权、气候变化和人文交流等各个领域的切实合作，同时就国际问题交换意见。

发言人表示，霍尔塔的访问将有助于深化两国之间的合作，并可能有助于韩国为东帝汶的可持续发展以及地区和平与繁荣做出贡献。