Türkiye vows deeper cooperation with fellow Turkic states

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday that Türkiye remains committed to deepening cooperation with fellow Turkic states across all sectors, speaking on the sidelines of Organization of Turkic States (OTS) meetings in Ankara ahead of a landmark summit hosted by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Ankara hosts OTS summit

"I hope the summit we will hold tomorrow under the hosting of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will bring blessings to the Turkic world," Fidan said on the US social media platform X following a meeting of OTS foreign ministers. He noted that Ankara draws strength from longstanding fraternal ties with fellow Turkic nations.

"We believe that the consultations we continue to hold in line with the traditions inherited from our ancestors will strengthen our solidarity and help us achieve our common goals," the minister added, according to Anadolu Agency. The gathering marks a significant moment for the bloc as it convenes under the theme "Turkic Century: Unity in Language, Thought and Deed."

Organization's growing role

The summit brings together heads of state from member countries and high-level representatives from observer states to discuss current cooperation and future prospects, the OTS said on Oct. 24. Established in 2009 as the Turkic Council, the organization adopted its current name during its eighth summit in Istanbul in 2021.

Full members include Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, while Turkmenistan, Hungary, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and the Economic Cooperation Organization hold observer status. The two-day summit is scheduled to conclude on Friday.