Events

The 10th Anniversary Summit of the Organization of Turkic States was hosted in Astana under the chairmanship of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. 

Welcoming the Heads of the Member States who had come to Kazakhstan - the cradle of the Turkic nations in order to participate in the high-level meeting, the President noted that the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States, established on the initiative of Kazakhstan, had become a full-fledged international organization.

"The Turkic World Vision 2040 has been adopted. Most importantly, we have strengthened the unity of brotherly countries. We have demonstrated to the world our adherence to common values. We are fulfilling the will of our ancestors and strengthening cooperation among Turkic nations.  We must maintain our unity based on mutual trust and solidarity in order to pass it on to the next generation. The Turkic world interacts with global powers on an equal footing. Other nations are now reckoning with the key stances of our organization. Therefore, the expansion of relations between Turkic peoples is a common task for all of us," stressed Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

The President stated that our country is interested in the further development of the OTS, adding that Kazakhstan's Chairmanship will be held under the motto "TURKTIME!

It reflects eight main priorities that will be given utmost attention: Traditions, Unity, Reforms, Knowledge, Trust, Investment, Mediation and Energy.

In his speech, the President gave special emphasis to each of these pillars.

As the President said, the promotion of Turkish unity is of paramount importance as we are bound by shared history, culture, language and mentality. In this regard, he drew attention to the need to uniform the flags and emblems of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) and its structures.

"Today, we will consider the presented sketches and make a joint decision. It will be a historic moment. It is our duty to explore the common archive and bring the historical truth to the descendants. We propose to entrust the relevant institutions to work together on unexplored sources. This is truly very important work. There are gaps in our common history that need to be thoroughly researched. It is also important to promote each other's TV series shot in our countries. In particular, we should widely promote animated films for kids. We think that social networks and popular media personalities can be involved for this purpose. It will certainly create an opportunity for the spiritual rapprochement of the youth," the President said.

According to the President, it is necessary to ensure the coordinated development of the Turkic states. He suggests systematizing the standards and terminology of the member states.

"In this regard, I would like to call all of you to draft a typical law and approve it as soon as possible. This initiative will open the way to free export of our goods to the common market. Uniform standards will allow us to ensure annual GDP growth of about 1%. This year, the turnover of goods between the OTS countries exceeded 22 billion US dollars. This figure could  show 1.5 fold increase if we adopt common requirements. I am also proposing the establishment of the OTS Reference Centre, which will ensure mutual recognition of the results of product testing, as well as new research in the field of chemical and food industries," the President said.

The third priority outlined by the President is reform. He made a number of proposals to optimize the organization’s activities and international integration.

"I call for the appointment of our permanent representatives to the Organization of Turkic States. It is better to appoint them as soon as possible. We also welcome the idea of increasing the number of staff in the Secretary General's Office. It is necessary to strengthen the cooperation of the Turkic states in the electoral field. It is worth to consider the establishment of an Advisory Council of Central Election Authorities. International and regional structures have recently shown increasing interest in our organization. We welcome the initiative to grant observer status to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. We also propose cooperation with the Islamic Food Security Organization," the Head of State said.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stressed the importance of the enhanced cooperation in the field of education and science.  This could include opening branches of top universities, holding joint scientific events and exchanging experience, creating language departments, as well as developing artificial intelligence, digital and aerospace industries.

The President noted the importance of reinforcing the unity of the Turkic peoples amid the turbulent world situation.

"It is imperative to ensure our collective security. Arms and drug trafficking, terrorism, extremism, migration pose increasing dangers. Stronger security cooperation is vital in countering these risks. In this context, I propose to organise the third meeting of the Secretaries General of the Security Councils in Astana next year. It is crucial to sign an agreement for a collaborative effort against crime and the exchange of information between the financial investigative bodies of the member states," the President declared.

The Head of State identified investment as the sixth key priority, calling on the leaders to expand interregional trade and focus on investment in the economy.

“The Turkic Investment Fund has a unique role in this endeavor. To improve economic relations, it is necessary to establish a market for "green" finance. As you are aware, Kazakhstan has proposed the creation of a Council of Turkic Green Finance. Moreover, the proposal to grant Astana the status of the financial center of the Turkic world was supported by all parties. I extend my genuine gratitude to all of you for this unanimous decision," the Kazakh leader said.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev pointed out the growing role of mediation. Referring to the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, and the problem of illegal migration in Western countries, he emphasised that the most important task is to ensure security.

"Therefore, I have decided to provide $1 million humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people. It is simply intolerable to use violence and acts of terrorism to solve pressing problems that have persisted for decades. Kazakhstan strongly condemns such actions. The escalation of the conflict could lead to serious consequences. We strongly advise to resolve any disputes through peaceful negotiations and dialogue. Upholding the territorial integrity of all states and non-intervention in their domestic matters remain of utmost importance to us. It is vital to strictly comply with the resolutions of the UN Security Council and to respect the norms of international law. It is no secret that the Security Council’s is currently at a standstill. Given this, the role of the General Assembly should be strengthened. At the same time, it is necessary to be more constructive in the reform of the Security Council," the President stressed.

The President of Kazakhstan outlined the country's initiatives in the energy sector, which represents the eighth priority of cooperation within the OTC.

"We attach great importance to the development of new energy sources, the modernisation and diversification of transportation routes.  We also have a keen interest in the introduction of best practices and technologies in geological exploration and power generation. We value the advancement of the petrochemical sector and collaborative efforts towards sustainable energy. I have proposed to host the International Energy Forum in Kazakhstan this year. " Such a high-level event will allow us to discuss all relevant issues in depth. Climate change and sustainable development rank among the foremost ones. Our country took the initiative to host a regional climate change summit in 2026. I believe that the fraternal Turkic states will support the above initiatives," the Head of State said.

In conclusion, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev urged the leaders of the Turkic states to unite, adding. that mutual support and joint effective actions will eventually lead to the prosperity of the Turkic world and strengthen the unity of all states.

The acting Chairman of the OTS - President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, President Sadyr Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the Turkiye Republic, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary, Secretary General of the Organisation of Turkic States Kubanychbek Omuraliyev also delivered their speeches on the Summit.

Following the meeting, the leaders set a number of goals and tasks for the Organisation. In addition, a number of important documents were signed on the sidelines of the Summit. The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, received the Supreme Order of the Turkic World in recognition of his services to better the world of  his Turkic brethren.

The list of documents signed on the sidelines of 10th anniversary Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS):

1. The Astana Act;
2. The Declaration of the 10th anniversary Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS);
3. The decision of the Heads of State on awarding President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev the highest order of the Turkic world;
4. The decision of the Heads of State on the Turkic world financial center status;
5. The decision on new flags of the Turkic Cooperation Organizations;
6. The decision of the Heads of State on appointments;
7. The decision on the status of an Economic Cooperation Organization observer to the Organization of Turkic States;
8. The decision on establishment of the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Disasters and Solidarity of the Organization of Turkic States on February 6;
9. The decision on the budget management policy of the OTS Secretary;
10. The decision on the development of provisions of OTS permanent representatives;
11. The Protocol on cooperation between the relevant institutions of the OTS member states in the field of metrology;
12. The joint action plan of the OTS on the implementation of the 2023/27 transport connection program.