Turkey’s Foreign Ministry marks 17th anniversary of central treaty ahead of summit
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has marked the 17th anniversary of the Nakhchivan Agreement, which serves as the founding document for the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).
Furthermore, 3 October was celebrated as the Day of Cooperation among Turkic States.
This occasion was highlighted in a statement released ahead of the 13th summit of the Organization of Turkic States, which Turkey is scheduled to host later this month. The official statement from Ankara emphasised Turkey' s commitment to transforming the collective potential of the Turkic world into prosperity.
Furthermore, it underscored an ambition to build the so-called " Turkic Century" in unity, a vision that has become a central component of Turkey' s foreign policy discourse in recent years.
The commemoration and the upcoming gathering highlight Ankara' s dedication to strengthening regional ties and multilateralism among Turkic-speaking nations. The Nakhchivan Agreement, signed in 2009 in Azerbaijan, laid the foundation for closer cooperation between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan, with Hungary, Turkmenistan, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus participating as observers.
Since then, the establishment of the Organization of Turkic States has functioned as a platform for dialogue and coordination within politics, economy, culture, and security.
The anniversary and the celebration of the cooperation day reflect the increasing importance Turkey attributes to this organisation as a key instrument of its foreign policy. The upcoming 13th OTS summit, scheduled to take place in Turkey on 29 and 30 October, is expected to bring together heads of state and representatives from member and observer countries.
Such summits are critical forums for assessing progress in joint projects, discussing regional and international challenges, and formulating strategies for future cooperation.
Hosting this summit provides Turkey with an opportunity to demonstrate leadership and further promote its vision for a unified and influential Turkic world. The Foreign Ministry' s reference to the " Turkic Century" is a vital part of Turkey' s long-term strategy to strengthen its international and regional position.
The concept, which has also been promoted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, concerns maximising the collective potential of Turkic-speaking states to achieve economic growth, political stability, and cultural development.
This includes measures to promote trade, investments, transport corridors, and energy efficiency, as well as increased coordination on foreign policy issues. By highlighting unity and prosperity as core objectives, Turkey seeks to create a robust alliance capable of meeting common challenges and utilising synergies across continents.
The celebration of the Nakhchivan Agreement' s anniversary and the upcoming summit serve as concrete manifestations of this broader strategy, signalling Turkey' s sustained commitment to cultivating stronger ties with its Turkic-speaking partners amidst increasingly complex global geopolitics.
Source: Star
