Erdoğan : Organization of Turkic States to take more active role as international actor

President Erdoğan made these remarks and answered questions from journalists on the plane returning to Türkiye following his visit to Azerbaijan.

Erdoğan stated that they had concluded the 12th Summit of the Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), hosted by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

"As you know, we celebrated the Turkic States Cooperation Day on October 3rd. Thus, we have completed the 16th anniversary of the Nakhchivan Agreement, which laid the foundations of our Organization. In what can be considered a short period, this exceptional organization, which we see as our family council, has covered significant ground. While consolidating its institutional structure, it has also made the shared vision of the Turkic world more visible globally."

Erdoğan noted that they evaluated a comprehensive agenda at the Summit, covering cooperation across sectoral, human, and cultural fields, including foreign policy. He added, "We discussed steps aimed at developing the institutional integration process of the Turkic world, as well as cooperation with other countries and international organizations. We decided to establish a new format, which we named the 'Organization of Turkic States Plus,' to consolidate our Organization's position as an international actor."

He explained that the Gabala Declaration included decisions to initiate cooperation in areas such as defense industry, energy, and connectivity, as well as critical minerals. Erdoğan emphasized that the declaration was shaped around the summit's theme of regional peace and security.

Common approaches on priority foreign policy issues, such as Gaza, Syria, and the stability process in the South Caucasus, were also reflected in the declaration. Erdoğan stated, "We have also given the necessary instruction for our Ministers of Foreign Affairs to meet at more frequent intervals to discuss regional and global developments."

Erdoğan concluded by saying they participated via live link in the groundbreaking ceremony for the mosque to be built in Fuzuli through a partnership between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. "Turkmenistan's acceptance as an observer member to the Turkic Academy and the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation marked a new milestone in completing our family picture."