Astana, Kazakhstan
Leaders of the Organization of Turkish States (OTS) will meet in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana on Friday.
The group’s 10th Summit of Heads of State will gather under the motto “Turkish Era” or “Turkish Time” and aim to build a new era of cooperation and collaboration among the Turkish countries of the world.
The summit will be hosted by Kazakh President Kasym-Jomart Tokayev and will also be attended by the presidents of Turkiye, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.
Officials from observer countries such as Turkmenistan, Hungary and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will also attend.
The Astana Law and the Astana Declaration are expected to be signed at the summit, and a series of important decisions will be made in the economy, trade, transport, customs, finance, education, tourism, culture and many other areas.
The group’s deputy secretary general, Omer Kocaman, told Anadolu that Turkey is taking an important step towards further integration in the world.
Cooperation between member states will be strengthened in areas such as internal affairs, security and defense, he said, adding that serious political crises and conflicts were occurring within and outside the region.
“We feel the need to deepen cooperation, especially in the security field, and develop defense industrial cooperation,” he said.
Economic relations, the plight of Gaza
Regarding economic relations, he said that the trade value within the group exceeded approximately $40 billion.
“Trade facilitation is currently one of the key issues for us. The activities of the Turkish Investment Fund are very important to improve cooperation in this field,” he added.
Regarding recent developments in the besieged Gaza Strip, he stated in the Astana Declaration that he strongly condemns Israeli attacks.
He emphasized that the period of establishment and institutionalization of the group has been completed and said that he looks forward to Turkmenistan joining the group.
“Our organization has also been strengthened by the participation of Hungary and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as observers,” he added.
The Organization of Turkish States, previously known as the Turkish Council, was established in 2009 as an intergovernmental organization comprised of prominent independent Turkish states that work together to enhance relations and unity among Turkish states.
The member states are Turkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, with Hungary, Turkmenistan, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus also holding observer status.
*Written by: Gozde Bayar
Anadolu Agency’s website only lists some of the news articles provided to subscribers on the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS) in summary form. Please contact us for subscription options.
