Ankara, October 31, 2026 – The Europe Today: The 13th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was held in the Turkish capital, Ankara, on October 30 under the theme “Turkic Century: Unity in Language, Thought and Deed.”
The summit brought together the Presidents of Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, along with the Presidents of observer states Turkmenistan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Azerbaijan was represented by Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered the opening remarks. Noting that Türkiye was taking over the chairmanship of the organisation from Azerbaijan, he said: “We aim to turn the institutional experience our Organization has gained to date into new achievements. We will declare the upcoming period as the Turkic Century.”
Speaking on behalf of Azerbaijan as the outgoing chair, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov thanked member states for the support extended during Azerbaijan’s chairmanship and wished Türkiye success in its term.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev expressed his gratitude to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for his contribution to the development of relations within the OTS and to strengthening the bonds of brotherhood among Turkic peoples.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov commended Azerbaijan’s successful chairmanship, noting that it had placed considerable emphasis on strengthening cooperation within the organisation and advancing joint initiatives.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced the launch of the Trans-Caspian Fibre-Optic Cable Line between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, adding that other Turkic states could also join the project.
President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov called for the further expansion of economic cooperation among Turkic states, while President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Tufan Erhürman expressed readiness to engage in negotiations with all parties towards a lasting and fair resolution of the issues on the island of Cyprus.
The leaders expressed their appreciation to Kubanychbek Omuraliev of Kyrgyzstan upon the completion of his term as OTS Secretary-General and approved the appointment of Mirvokhid Azimov of Uzbekistan as the organisation’s new Secretary-General.
The summit concluded with the signing of the Joint Declaration of the 13th Summit, known as the Ankara Declaration. The 163-article document underscores the importance of deepening cooperation across a broad range of areas, including regional connectivity, the defence industry, a common alphabet and transport corridors.
