President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed leaders at the 13th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS)
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed leaders at the 13th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), held in Ankara under the theme of “Turkic Century: Unity in Language, Thought and Deed”.
Beginning his remarks by greeting the visiting leaders, President Erdoğan said: “Yesterday, we celebrated, with your participation, the 103rd anniversary of our Republic with great pride and enthusiasm. Today, as leaders of brotherly Turkic states, we have come together to discuss our shared future. First and foremost, I would like to thank each of you individually for sharing our joy on our Republic Day.”
Stating that the unity among the member states was further deepened through the special gifts they presented for the Organization of Turkic States Civilization Park, which was inaugurated yesterday, President Erdoğan said: “The family photo we displayed yesterday and today serves as a symbol of both our loyalty to our past and our will to build our shared future together.”
Noting that they, inspired by İsmail Gaspıralı, chose the theme of “Turkic Century: Unity in Language, Thought and Deed” for the summit, President Erdoğan said: “In our view, unity in language means preserving and developing our shared treasure, and being able to understand one another directly, without any intermediaries. Unity in thought means rallying around common goals and developing a collective strategy. Unity in action means transforming our words into deeds, our will into tangible achievements, and our decisions into concrete results. With this understanding, as Türkiye, we are today taking over the chairmanship of our Organization from Azerbaijan. On behalf of our Organization, I extend my congratulations to our Azerbaijani brothers and sisters for their efforts throughout their chairmanship.”
“I BELIEVE THAT OUR FAMILY COUNCIL WILL INCREASE ITS CONTACTS WITH THE TURKISH REPUBLIC OF NORTHERN CYPRUS”
“During our chairmanship, we aim to translate the institutional legacy our Organization has built to date into more tangible achievements. We seek to make progress in areas such as promoting a common language to strengthen our bonds of brotherhood, supporting cultural activities, with a particular focus on sports, and facilitating travel between our countries. As we build the future of the Turkic world, we place great importance on strengthening the institution of the family and supporting the role of women in our societies,” President Erdoğan said.
Voicing his pleasure that the first meeting of the High Honorary Board of the Family and Women's Council is held under the auspices of First Lady Emine Erdoğan, President Erdoğan said: “I would like to underline that there is no place for division, discord, or conflict in the family portrait of the Turkic world. We all stand as one and united, and, inshallah, we are brothers from time immemorial and for all eternity. At this point, I believe that our family council will increase its contacts with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.”
Welcoming Turkmenistan’s contributions to the OTS, President Erdoğan said: “Under the dynamic leadership of my brother Serdar, we hope to see Turkmenistan as a full member of our family council as soon as possible.”
“I SUPPORT OUR AZERBAIJANI BROTHERS’ CONTACTS WITH ARMENIA”
“A South Caucasus where peace and stability prevail will offer significant opportunities not only to the countries of the region but also to the entire Turkic world. I support the contacts our Azerbaijani brothers are maintaining with Armenia, and I would like to state that we will continue to do everything in our power to contribute to lasting peace. The conflicts in our region benefit no party, and also have severe consequences for the global economy, trade and energy markets. It is our hope that the tensions with Iran, which have recently escalated again, will be resolved through diplomacy rather than the use of force. I am of the view that we, as Turkic states, should make greater efforts to find a just solution to the Palestinian issue, which remains a bleeding wound for us,” President Erdoğan said.
“We should provide the necessary contribution to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the prompt commencement of reconstruction efforts. We should continue to support the realization of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine, based on the 1967 borders, with East al-Quds as its capital. We have shared future, just like we have a shared past. We share our achievements just like we share our troubles. We must strive to advance our mutual interests through a ‘win-win’ approach, while remaining mindful of the national sensitivities of each of our members. I believe it is within our power to transform the Turkic world into a robust hub for trade, transport, and energy, stretching from east to west. The Trans-Caspian East-West Middle Corridor is a strategic route that will shape the trade of the future,” President Erdoğan said.
“WE CAN BRING TOGETHER OUR COUNTRIES’ MARKETS UNDER ONE UMBRELLA”
Highlighting the importance of cyber security, President Erdoğan said: “We expect the cybersecurity and cyber cooperation agreement to be signed and implemented as soon as possible. In the field of space, accelerating our joint satellite project continues to be among our priorities. We can bring together the markets of our countries under one umbrella through a common digital trade platform. We expect all our member countries to contribute to the development of a Turkic large language model that encompasses the Oghuz, Kipchak, and Karluk language groups. During our chairmanship, we will advance the action plan for artificial intelligence and digital development with a result-oriented approach, free of any duplication. I consider the finalization of the Strategic Partnership and Eternal Friendship Agreement, along with the 2027–2031 strategy, to be of great importance. As you know, we will host the COP31 Leaders' Summit in Antalya on November 11-12. I would like to reiterate that I look forward to your participation, my dear brothers.”
President Erdoğan thanked the outgoing Secretary General of the OTS, Kubanychbek Omuraliev, for his service to the Organization since 2022, and wished the next Secretary General, Mirvokhid Azimov, success in his new post. “We regard the chairmanship that we assume today as a heavy responsibility and a precious trust. Inshallah, we will strive to duly uphold this trust,” President Erdoğan said.
