History of Organization

The First Summit of the Organization was held on 20-21 October 2011 in Almaty with the theme of "Economic and Trade Cooperation". On the occasion of the meeting, agreements and by-laws on the institutionalization of the Organization were finalized. Moreover, the Turkic Business Council was established to bring together the business communities of the member states.

The Second Summit was held in Bishkek on 22-23 August 2012, under the topic of "Educational, Scientific and Cultural Cooperation". In line with the decisions taken at the Summit, new institutions were established under the umbrella of the Organization, and in this context, agreements were signed on the establishment of the Turkic Academy in Astana and the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation in Baku. Moreover, the institutional capacity of the OTS Secretariat was strengthened with the Agreement on Financial Principles signed during the Summit.

The Third Summit was held on 15-16 August 2013 in Gabala, Azerbaijan with the theme of “Transport and Connectivity”. The “Protocol on Cooperation between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States” was signed on the occasion of the Summit.

The Fourth Summit was held on 4-5 June 2014 in Bodrum, Turkey. Bodrum Summit was organized under the topic of “Cooperation in Tourism”. Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the Nakhchivan Agreement and agreed on initiatives such as the "Modern Silk Road" tourism program, strengthening transport networks, and cultural preservation efforts. The summit concluded with Türkiye assuming the Chairmanship-in-Office for 2014–2015, aiming to deepen solidarity and regional collaboration.

The Fifth Summit was held on 11 September 2015 in Astana, Kazakhstan with the theme “Media and Information Cooperation”. Key achievements include progress on the Turkic Investment Fund, agreements to enhance transport and Silk Road connectivity, and the development of common Turkic history textbooks. The summit also underscored regional integration through the Turkic Academy, Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, and inter-parliamentary cooperation, with Kazakhstan assuming the Chairmanship for 2015–2016.

The Sixth Summit was convened on 3 September 2018 in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan on the theme of “Youth and National Sports”. Leaders celebrated the success of the World Nomad Games, emphasized cooperation in transport, trade, and tourism, and advanced projects like the Modern Silk Road Joint Tour Package. The Summit also marked Hungary’s observer status in the Council, the adoption of the Concept of Integration of Turkic Speaking States, the appointment of the new Secretary General and progress on the Common Turkic History Textbook. Kyrgyzstan assumed the Chairmanship, with the next Summit scheduled for 2019 in Azerbaijan.

The Seventh Summit was convened on 15 October 2019 in Baku, Azerbaijan on the theme of “Supporting the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)”. The Summit coincided with 10th Anniversary of the Nakhchivan Agrement founding the Turkic Council and greeted Uzbekistan as the new member of the Organization.

The Eighth Summit was held in Istanbul on 12 November 2021. During the Summit, which was dedicated to the theme of "Green Technologies and Smart Cities in the Digital Age", the Leaders underlined the importance of common action concerning the pressing topics of the global agenda and took decisions on a number of important issues concerning the future of the Organization, primarily changing the name of the Turkic Council to the “Organization of Turkic States”. The Summit coincided with 30th anniversary of the Independence of the Turkic States and greeted Turkmenistan as the new observer member to the Organization. The main agenda topics among others were determination of new cooperation modalities with third parties and institutions, the establishment of Turkic Investment Fund and approval of the Turkic World Vision-2040, which lays out the Organization's medium and long-term goals and tasks.

The Ninth Summit of the Organization of Turkic States was held in Samarkand, which was declared the Capital of Turkic Civilization, on 11 November 2022. During the historic Summit, which was dedicated to the theme of “New Era for Turkic Civilization: Towards Common Development and Prosperity”, the Leaders underlined the strong commitment of Member and Observer States to Turkic integration and the Turkic World Vision 2040.

Hosted by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan H.E. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the Tenth Summit of the Organization of Turkic States was held on 3 November 2023 in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. During this historic Summit, held under the motto "TurkTime!" leaders underscored their unwavering commitment to deepening cooperation within the Turkic World and enhancing solidarity among Turkic States through the OTS framework.

The Eleventh Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), was organized in Bishkek on 6 November 2024, with the theme "Empowering the Turkic World: Economic Integration, Sustainable Development, Digital Future, and Security for All." Key outcomes included the adoption of the Turkic Green Vision, the Charter of the Turkic World, and the proclamation of Bishkek as the Digital Capital of the Turkic World 2025. Notable agreements included the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement, establishment of the Civil Protection Mechanism, and MoUs on space activities, green finance, and the Turkic Large Language Model. Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán received the Supreme Order of the Turkic World, while Nobel laureate Prof. Aziz Sancar was honored with the Alisher Navoi International Prize. The Chairmanship passed to Kyrgyzstan, and the next Summit was set for Azerbaijan in 2025, with an informal one in Hungary.