OMM Newsroom
Foreign ministers of member states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) met in Ankara on Thursday to strengthen regional cooperation and finalize preparations for a leaders’ summit scheduled for Friday. The meeting was held at the presidential complex in the Turkish capital, AnewZ reported.
The foreign ministers of the five member states — Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan — took part. Discussions focused on political and economic cooperation, regional security and preparations for the summit, which will be chaired by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
According to the organization, participants reviewed a draft Ankara Declaration, institutional reforms and financial matters, including the 2027 budget.
OTS Secretary-General Kubanychbek Omuraliev also attended the meeting and briefed the ministers on work carried out while Azerbaijan held the organization’s chairmanship. The ministers also assessed regional and international developments and set priorities for the coming years.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a separate bilateral meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Jeyhun Bayramov. Details of the talks were not disclosed.
Türkiye to chair the organization
At Friday’s summit, held under the theme “A Turkic Century: Unity in Language, Thought and Action,” Türkiye will take over the organization’s rotating chairmanship from Azerbaijan.
Leaders are expected to adopt the Ankara Declaration, setting out shared priorities, and appoint a new secretary-general.
Trade and transport links are expected to be key topics at the summit. Particular attention will be paid to expanding the Middle Corridor, a multimodal trade route linking Central Asia with Europe via the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Türkiye.
The organization has broadened its areas of activity
Established in 2009 as the Turkic Council, the organization adopted its current name in 2021. Its headquarters are in Istanbul.
Initially focused on cultural and linguistic ties, the organization has since expanded its work to include cooperation in energy, infrastructure, digital transformation, regional diplomacy and the defense industry.
The Ankara summit is taking place as member states seek to deepen economic and strategic ties amid shifting global trade routes and a changing geopolitical landscape.
