The activities of the OTS cover a wide range of cooperation between member states and according to the Nakhchivan Agreement, political coopeation is among the main goals and objectives of the organization.
Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM)
The principal platform of political cooperation among the Turkic States is the annual Summits of Heads of State. The Foreign Ministers of Member States meet on a regular basis on the side-lines of Leaders Summits, at the meetings of the Council of Foreign Ministers. Foreign Ministers may also hold additional meetings to discuss the topics of mutual concern, often coming together during some international events. As become customary, the informal meetings of Foreign Ministers have been held annually on the side-lines of UN General Assembly since 2011.
Foreign Ministers also gather at the Extraordinary Meetings. The First Extraordinary CFM was convened on 6 February 2020 in Baku to follow-up and to facilitate the implementation of the decisions of the Heads of States taken at Baku Summit. The Foreign Ministers met at another Extraordinary Meeting with the agenda of “Afghanistan” on 27 September 2021 in Istanbul where they exchanged views on the current situation in Afghanistan and its regional and global ramifications. Upon the initiative of H.E. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye as the Chairperson in the Office of the Organization, the Council of Foreign Ministers held an extraordinary videoconference meeting on to discuss the developments in Kazakhstan, on 11 January 2022. The Foreign Ministers met in Istanbul on 17 October 2022 at the Extraordinary Meeting and discussed the preparations and the agenda of the Summit of the Heads of States to be held in Samarkand on 11 November 2022 and exchanged views on pressing issues on the OTS agenda. Lately , the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Organization of Turkic States convened in Ankara on 16 March 2023 in an Extraordinary Session to finalize the agenda items to be discussed by the Heads of State during the Extraordinary Summit of the OTS.
The last regular Meeting of the CFM was convened preceding the OTS 10th Summit held on 3 November 2023 in Astana, to finalize the documents to be signed by the Heads of State, as well as discussed various issues in the agenda of the Organization.
Council of Elders (CoE)
In line with the Turkic history and tradition, Member States decided to constitute the Council of Elders (CoE) as an advisory-consultative mechanism while establishing then called Turkic Council. CoE is inscribed in Nakhchivan Agreement as one of the organs of the Turkic Council together with the Council of Heads of State (CHS), Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), Senior Officials Committee (SOC), and the Secretariat.
With its high-level members possessing huge experience mainly in bureaucracy, statesmanship or academia, CoE submits opinions, recommendations, programs, projects and proposals to the CFM and CHS for the promotion of the cooperation among the Turkic States within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). They can also facilitate the implementation of the ongoing projects of the OTS or help overcome some problematic points with their experience.
CoEs main purpose is to support the preservation and development of high spiritual and moral values of history, culture, language and traditions of the peoples of Member States. For this purpose, its members attend international conferences, seminars, workshops, and other initiatives aiming at promoting cooperation among the Member States. CoE is also tasked with conducting other activities assigned by the CHS.
The CoE, having strengthened its structure with some amendments adopted at the 8th Summit of the OTS held in Istanbul on 11 November 2021, has convened 14 times so far, and the last meeting was held on 17-18 October 2023 in Samarkand.
Currently, every Member and Observer State appoints one elder in the CoE from amongst their nationals who are reputable and respected in the Turkic World, for a four-year term. With its new structure, CoE has a Chairman who performs as the Chief Executive Officer. As the elder of the host country of the Secretariat, Türkiye appointed the first Chairman of CoE, which will be followed by the other Member States on a rotational basis in accordance with the English alphabetical order of their official names. Chairman represents the CoE at the meetings of the OTS and Turkic Cooperation Organizations (TURKPA, TURKSOY, Turkic Academy and Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation) and Coordination Committee of Cooperation Organizations of the Turkic States, as well as to participate in relevant meetings of international organizations upon the consent of the Member States.
In principle, CoE convenes twice a year. CoE decisions are taken by consensus. CoE may also convene in an extraordinary format if needed by the call of the Chairman or upon a request submitted by one of the Elders. Proposals and recommendations of CoE have an advisory character for the CFM and CHS. Secretarial work of the CoE is performed by the Secretariat of the OTS.
Security Consultations
Security consultations among the Member States have been convened annually since 2013. Three rounds of security consultations have taken place so far. This mechanism serves as a tool to further cooperation among the Member States on issues related to regional and international security. The relations of the Member States with Afghanistan, issues such as prevention of violent extremism and countering the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters prevailed on the agenda of the last round of consultations hosted by Türkiye on 6 February 2016 in Ankara.
First Meeting of the Heads of National Security Council of the Member and Observer States of the OTS was organized on 29 June 2022 in Ankara with the participation of the relevant authorities of the Member States. At the meeting, issues related to global and regional security and the development of cooperation in the field of security were discussed. Within the scope of the visit, delegation also held meetings with Turkish Aerospace, Ministry of Interior and National Intelligence Organization and was received by President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The Second Meeting of Heads of the National Security Councils (NSCs) of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was held on 19-20 October 2023 in Tashkent with the participation of the Secretaries of the NSCs of the OTS Member States and the Secretary General of the OTS. During the meeting, Parties elaborated on the existing security environment and emerging developments in the OTS region and the world. They discussed at length the current security threats and challenges targeting the OTS countries, as well as potential ramifications of certain regional and global situations and trends to the Turkic region. Heads of NSCs paid a special emphasis on devising mechanisms within the framework of the OTS to enhance the existing security cooperation with concrete projects and programs. Parties agreed to establish an Expert Group and prepare a Road Map for the realization of the decisions taken at the NSC meetings.
Junior Diplomats Joint Training Program
In accordance with the “Cooperation Protocol among the Ministries of Foreign Affairs”, signed at the 3rd Summit of the Organization of Turkic States, “Junior Diplomats Joint Training Program” was incorporated into the activities of the Secretariat. The training program includes language courses aiming at familiarizing the participants with the languages of the Member States at the basic level, stressing common characteristics, as well as sessions on common Turkic history, international organizations, negotiation techniques, public relations, role of international and regional organizations, security issues and foreign policy priorities, trade and transportation networks, conflicts in the region and common cultural diplomacy of the Turkic States. The last 6th Joint Training Program was successfully implemented with the close collaboration of ADA University on 12-26 May 2019 in Azerbaijan.
This Training program is also included as a case study under the title of “South-South Cooperation and Diplomacy: Junior Diplomats Training Program (JDTP) to United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation Publication “South-South in Action on Peace and Development”, which was presented at BAPA+40 Side Event: South-South Cooperation on Peace and Development at the Second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation in Buenos-Aires, Argentina on 19 March 2019. It is noted in the Publication that the Organization of Turkic States has devised a tailored training initiative in order to support the evolution of cooperation among young diplomats. Since the inception of the Program in 2014, 138 junior diplomats have benefitted from the training program; 65 of them were women.
Due to the pandemic the program was paused. The next is planned be held in Kazakhstan.
Cooperation among Foreign Policy Research Centers
The cooperation process among the Official Foreign Policy Research Centers of the Member States was initiated by the Secretariat of OTS. The first meeting among the Official Foreign Policy Research Centers was hosted by the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SAM Azerbaijan) in Baku on 8 May 2015. The meeting was followed by the signing ceremony of the MoU among the Official Foreign Policy Research Centers of the Member States of the Organization of Turkic States.
As the implementation of the decision taken at the first meeting among the Official Foreign Policy Research Centers, SAM Türkiye prepared a special publication, ‘Fifth Summit of the Organization of Turkic States: A Raising Actor in Regional Cooperation in Eurasia’ devoted to the Fifth Summit of the Organization of Turkic States and it was presented to the Heads of State during the 5th Summit. Within the framework of this cooperation process, SAM Azerbaijan launched the internship for researchers from other Research Centers. As a result of this internship, the “Organization of Turkic States Countries: Infrastructure, Trade, Logistics, and Transportation\" Report was released in English as the special publication series of the SAM of Azerbaijan in November 2017. It was co-authored by SAM`s Research Fellow at the Economic Analysis and Global Affairs Department Mahir Humbatov, a PhD candidate at SOAS University of London and Kazım Sarı, Associate Professor at the Beykent University. This report aims to investigate the logistics and transportation potential of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. It also sheds light on the trade and economic relations of the mentioned countries, available infrastructure projects and the promising infrastructure development programs planned to be implemented in the near future. Organization of Turkic States and SAM Türkiye also published a special academic edition dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Independence of the Member States of the Organization of Turkic States on the occasion of the 6th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States.
The 5th Meeting was hosted on 3 October 2019 in Baku by the Center for Analysis of the International Relations (AIR Centre) of the Republic of Azerbaijan. On the sidelines of this meeting, AIR Centre also organized an international conference, “Organization of Turkic States: the 10th Anniversary of the Nakhichevan Agreement”. During the meeting and the conference, the Parties discussed the perspectives of further cooperation among themselves, as well as had a panel discussion on problems and prospects of institutionalization and development of the Organization of Turkic States and future perspectives for cooperation among the Member States. Another Special Publication dedicated to the 10th Anniversary of the Nakhchivan Agreement was issued by the Secretariat and AIR Centre with the contribution of the Official Foreign Policy Research Centers of the Parties and Turkic Cooperation Organizations. The 6th Meeting was hosted by the National Institute for Strategic Studies of the Kyrgyz Republic in the format of a video conference call on 19 November 2020.
The 7th meeting of the Official Foreign Policy Research Centers of the Member and Observer States of the Organization of Turkic States hosted by the Center for Strategic Research of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye was held in Istanbul on 10 December 2021. The panelists shared their views and proposals on the cooperation among the Member and Observer States along with the Vision document and its further implementation. The importance of strengthening collaboration in the field of economy and trade, and effective utilization of the joint economic and transit transport potential of the Member and Observer States was also underlined in the panel. Furthermore, the experts had productive discussions on the next steps, such as elaborating on issuing special publications on the “Turkic World Vision - 2040”, as well as using scholarship opportunities for their researchers, and exchanging works and publications related to the activities and projects of the Organization of Turkic States. The Parties also agreed to hold a conference in Shusha city, the cultural capital of Azerbaijan.
The 8th meeting of the Official Foreign Policy Research Centers of the Member and Observer States of the Organization of Turkic States hosted by the Institute for Strategic and International Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Tashkent on 14 October 2022. The meeting that was held on the topic “OTS space: prospects to develop trade and economic cooperation and transport and logistics interconnectedness”, brought together representatives of the Center of Analysis of International Relations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies Under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the National Institute for Strategic Studies of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Center for Strategic Research of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary. Profile scientists and specialists from universities of Uzbekistan, including the University of World Economy and Diplomacy, Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, Tashkent State Transport University also participated in the Conference.
The experts had detailed panel discussions on prospects of cooperation in the new geopolitical conditions, the untapped potential in the fields of industry, energy, agriculture and trade as well as transport and logistics connectivity of the OTS countries and shared their recommendations with the Secretariat of the OTS. The heads of delegations signed the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation among the official research centers of the Member and Observer States for maintaining regular contacts and developing comprehensive cooperation in order to facilitate the further process of integration within the OTS. The Parties also agreed to hold the next regular meeting of the Research Centers in Kazakhstan in 2023.
Election Observer Missions
The Organization of Turkic States participates in the election processes of the Member States by commissioning international observer missions to ensure fair, transparent and democratic elections. The Missions are composed of officials from the Organization of Turkic States Secretariat and the representatives of the Central Election Commissions of the Member States. Since 2011, the Organization of Turkic States has sent more than 30 observer missions to presidential and parliamentary elections as well as referenda taking place in the Member States to support the political participation in respective countries.
Turkic World Vision 2040
Turkic World Vision 2040 document was approved by the Heads of State at the 8th Summit of the Organization on 12 November 2021 in Istanbul.
Turkic World Vision – 2040 aims to develop a framework to support the capacity of its members to address, individually and collectively, the challenges of our time. The existing spirit of cooperation will be harnessed to serve the fundamental objective of each Member State to raise the political, economic, social and cultural standards of their societies. Through cooperative mechanisms and joint projects, pooling of experiences and offering material and intellectual resources when needed, the Organization will provide a robust and transparent platform of growing cooperation and solidarity. Cognizant of global and regional geopolitical realities, the Organization will endeavor to function as a positive and increasingly capable group ready to engage all partners willing to cooperate constructively towards the attainment of regional and international peace, stability and prosperity. In this process, the Organization will uphold international law and the culture of multilateral cooperation aimed at supporting a predictable state of affairs internationally.
The document will provide direction for individual and joint action by the Member States to further build their administrative capacities to serve the needs and aspirations of their people. The Vision, based on four pillars, provides a strategic approach promising to render each Member State stronger with its people and stronger as a group, without prejudice to their already existing international commitments. The space of cooperation, development and solidarity the Organization aims to build will rest upon mutual interests, trust and respect facilitated by the fraternal affinities between the Member States. Given its broader goals, positive engagement with other countries and international organizations will be a key course of action for the Organization.
Policy Planning Consultations
The First Policy Planning Consultations of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was held on 24 June 2022 in Istanbul, Türkiye. The meeting was hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye at the Headquarters of the OTS Secretariat. At the meeting, Parties exchanged views on the global strategic overview and perceptions on major current and future events to take place in the upcoming period. Parties further discussed the regional strategic outlook, political and economic developments in Europe and in Asia, as well as the role of the Organization of Turkic States in the contexts. Referring to the “Turkic World Vision 2040”, which was adopted at the 8th Summit of the OTS in Istanbul, Participants stressed the importance of enhanced and institutionalized cooperation and solidarity among the Member and Observer States to tackle the impacts of the regional and global implications. Political and economic developments, including the security and interconnectivity in Europe, Asia and beyond, were raised during the meeting. Parties agreed to transform the policy planning consultations into a regular mechanism among the relevant authorities of the Member and Observer States to discuss the issues high on the regional and global agenda.
During the Second Policy Planning Consultations of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), which was hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan on 18 May 2023 in Baku, the consultations focused on the global and regional strategic outlook, future development scenarios for the OTS, and the assessment of the spread of Turkic culture and languages around the world. Referring to the “Turkic World Vision 2040” and OTS Strategy for 2022-2026 documents the participants also stressed the importance of enhanced and institutionalized cooperation and solidarity among the Member and Observer States to tackle the impacts of the regional and global challenges.
Based on the growing emphasis that the Heads of State have paid on holding consultations on regional and international issues affecting the interests of the Turkic World in order to develop a consolidated position among the Member States and their clear instruction to organize such consultations in case of emeging issues that would affect the interests of the Member States and hence require their common action, the Policy Consultations are decided to be organized among the Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the respective OTS countries.
Representation Office in Budapest
Hungary became an observer member of the then called Turkic Council and the Turkic Academy at the 6th Summit of the Turkic Council in Cholpon-Ata on 3 September 2019. It was a historic occasion for the OTS since the Organization realized its first enlargement since its foundation with Hungary’s obtention of observer status.
In the aftermath of its official involvement with the OTS, Hungary has become a valuable partner of the brotherly Turkic States and was deeply incorporated in the ongoing cooperation structure of the Organization in a short span of time. Indeed, with its robust foreign policy orientation called “Eastern Opening”, Hungary has made valuable contributions to the OTS’s sectorial efforts particularly in the economic field.
As a token of its committed cooperation with the OTS, Prime Minister of Hungary, H.E. Viktor Orbán, proposed to gear up the ongoing cooperation through the establishment of the “European Office of the OTS” in Budapest. Inaugurated in September 2019 with an official ceremony participated by the Foreign Ministers of the Member States and Hungary, the European Office has become a new center of attraction for boosting lucrative cooperation among the sides. The Office has been working to enhance relations of OTS with Hungary as well as to strengthen its ties with the European countries and institutions such as the EU, OSCE and Visegràd Group. The Office has been conducting and supporting programs and projects in the political, economic, historical, cultural areas and other fields of mutual interest; and facilitating the cooperation between business communities of the Member States and Hungary. It also has strong cooperation with the brotherly Turkic Cooperation Organizations, TURKSOY, TURKPA, Turkic Academy, Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, and organize joint activities in Hungary.
As for economic relations, over the past 10 years Hungary has more than doubled the turnover of trade with Turkic countries. Hungary’s Eximbank has offered around 1 billion dollars in loans aimed at assisting Hungarian companies with initiatives in Turkic countries. In this direction, the OTS is currently working with the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Hungarian Export Promotion Agency (HEPA) and Hungarian Eximbank to establish closer ties between the business communities of the brotherly countries of OTS and Hungary while providing access to available resources.
In the period following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, OTS countries showed considerable solidarity and supported each other with medical equipment, including face masks, safety glasses, gloves and test kits, among others. These aids were highly appreciated by the public opinion. In reference to this strong solidarity, Foreign Minister of Hungary, Mr. Peter Szijjártó once eloquently expressed: “Real friends show up in times of trouble”, which reflects the true essence of the cooperation within the Turkic World.
Furthermore, Hungary has elevated its relations with all Turkic country to a “strategic partnership level” with its recent decision to open Embassies in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. In light of the Turkic World Vision-2040 and the OTS Strategy 2022-2026 aiming at closer cooperation and deeper integration, brotherly ties and cooperation opportunities between the OTS and Hungary will continue to increasingly strengthen in the years to come. Establishment of the “Drought Prevention Institute” within the framework of the OTS Representation Office in Budapest at the Samarkand Summit in November 2022 is yet another testament to the productive cooperation between Hungary and the Turkic States.
Last Update: 28.10.2024 10:21:49
