Recep İlhan Yıldız, Secretary General of the Blue Economy Summit Organizing Committee, expressed his confidence that Türkiye's Black Sea region will become a global tourism and logistics hub in the future.

Speaking to a corresponent of The Caspian Post on the sidelines of the Blue Economy Summit in the Turkish city of Trabzon on Sunday, Recep İlhan Yıldız described the first summit as successful.

"We anticipate strong participation from all our stakeholders in the upcoming summits, and we expect this engagement to grow even further. This was our first Blue Economy Summit, and I believe it has been a success. Naturally, the views of our stakeholders are what matter most," he stated.

Recep İlhan Yıldız pledged continued activities to achieve their goals.

"The feedback we received has been positive, but our work will continue. In about ten days, we will begin a comprehensive review process-gathering input from all participants, identifying our shortcomings, and preparing to deliver an even stronger summit next year," he said.

The secretary general also emphasized that the first Blue Economy Summit exceeded expectations.

"If you ask about expectations, I can say they were exceeded. The meetings were highly productive, the panels were successful, and our panelists made valuable contributions. I believe the collaborations formed here will grow stronger in the future. This summit represents an important milestone for Türkiye's Black Sea region and, in my view, it will pave the way for much greater transformations," he said.

"Looking ahead five years, I believe the Black Sea region will take on a new identity. It will become a major hub for tourism and logistics, with cities like Trabzon rising to prominence as centers of maritime activity," Recep İlhan Yıldız added.

The secretary general said he expects increased participation from Azerbaijan in upcoming summits.

"I have lived in Azerbaijan before and hold it in great affection. Its people are our brothers and sisters-"we are two states, one nation"-and this bond will endure. I deeply value the citizens of Azerbaijan and consider them part of our extended family. In the coming years, I sincerely hope for increased participation from Azerbaijan at diplomatic and political levels. I extend this same wish to all Turkic states," he added.