Türkiye hosts 13th OTS summit under 'Turkic Century' theme

Türkiye will assume the rotating chairmanship of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) from Azerbaijan as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosts the 13th leaders' summit in Ankara on Thursday and Friday — gathering heads of state to advance cooperation under the theme "Turkic Century: Unity in Language, Thought and Deed."

Ankara Declaration and institutional transition

The summit will mark Ankara's return to the helm of the organization, which it helped found in 2009 as the Turkic Council before adopting its current name at the 2021 Istanbul summit. While Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan constitute full members, Turkmenistan, Hungary, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Economic Cooperation Organization hold observer status, according to the OTS secretariat.

The heads of state are expected to review progress across priority areas and place particular emphasis on "further strengthening unity and solidarity" among member states, the organization said in an Oct. 24 statement. The leaders will also address the appointment of a new secretary general and the bloc's strategic priorities for the forthcoming period, it added.

'Unity in deed' and political solidarity

Turan Gafarli, a non-resident fellow at the Baku-based Topchubashov Center, told Anadolu that bolstering political solidarity represents a significant aspect of the gathering amid "increasing uncertainty" in the world. The Turkic world is evolving into a structure capable of acting in unison during international crises, he noted, adding that the summit would solidify trust among members.

"Naturally, this is a long-term process. Yet, the true meaning of brotherhood is not just coming together during good times, but standing by one another during difficult ones," Gafarli said, expressing belief that the gathering would strengthen the atmosphere of cooperation built to date. He highlighted the growing strategic importance of the Middle Corridor as a historic opportunity for closer economic interconnection, stating that member states must bolster trade and engage in closer consultation on international issues.

Transport corridors and digitalization

Shairbek Dzhuraev, president of the Bishkek-based Crossroads Central Asia research institute, told Anadolu that tangible progress has appeared most evidently in transport and transit cooperation. He noted that developing the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route depends on harmonizing tariffs and simplifying customs procedures, with results measured by the time and cost of moving goods.

Digitalization represents a second promising focus area following the organization's informal summit in Turkistan this May, Dzhuraev stated. "The most substantial outcome of the Ankara summit would be the establishment of concrete timelines and mechanisms for implementing decisions already reached – particularly those concerning transport and trade," he said, adding that concrete action would demonstrate true "unity in deed."

Sports cooperation and domestic player status

Beyond political and economic coordination, the summit is expected to advance cultural and sporting ties among Turkic states. Kursad Zorlu, deputy chair of the Justice and Development (AK) Party responsible for Turkic relations, told reporters in Ankara that organizers plan to classify players from member states as domestic rather than foreign in one another's football leagues, fostering a unified sporting ecosystem across the Turkic world.