On November 3, 2023, the anniversary Tenth Summit of the Organization of Turkic States under the motto "TURKTIME!" was held in Astana under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The Summit was attended by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, President of the Republic of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of the Milli Gengesh of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban.
The summit was also attended by Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States Kubanychbek Omuraliev, President of the Turkic Academy Shahin Mustafayev, Secretary General of TurkPA Mehmet Sureya Er, Secretary General of TURKSOY Sultan Raev, President of the Foundation of Turkic Culture and Heritage Gunay Efendiyeva, President of the Turkic Investment Fund Bagdad Amreev, as well as the Council of Elders of OTS.
During the Summit, the chairmanship of the Organization of Turkic States passed from Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan. In accordance with the agenda of the Summit, the Heads of states discussed the current state and prospects of cooperation in the political, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres. Special attention was paid to the development of effective mechanisms for interregional cooperation in the fields of science and education, technology and innovation.
In his speech, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted that the current Summit was held under the motto "TURKTIME!", and this formula identifies eight priorities: Traditions, Unification, Reforms, Knowledge, Trust, Investments, Mediation and Energy. The President of Kazakhstan stressed that these priorities are designed for short-term and medium-term prospects, covering a ten-year period, up to the XX Summit of the Organization. "Our common goal is to deepen cooperation among the Turkic peoples. We must popularize the new brand "Turkic World". Only in this way we will be able to strengthen the solidarity of the Turkic peoples and increase their potential," Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
In turn, the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed to create a Turkic Development Bank and develop a Charter of the Turkic World. "Our main goal is to strengthen the principles of mutual respect, trust and openness within the Organization in order to effectively overcome all obstacles together. In this 0regard, I consider it necessary to develop the charter of the Turkic World, which will reflect the unity and cohesion of the Turkic peoples, their great past, rich culture and ancestral values. I propose to prepare this kind of symbolic encyclopedia with the participation of leading scientists and experts in the field," Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev expressed his gratitude for the support in declaring the city of Shusha the "Cultural Capital of the Turkic World" for 2023, where the first Cultural Forum of the Turkic states was organized in October. Ilham Aliyev also noted that Azerbaijan has restored its territorial integrity and strengthened its statehood in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the Security Council resolution, thereby entering a new era of its development.
President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov called for attention to be paid to further strengthening cooperation between Turkic cooperation organizations – such as TURKSOY, the Turkic Academy and the Foundation of Turkic Culture and Heritage - as well as to intensify work on the development of the tourism industry. In this vein, he proposed to declare the city of Jalal-Abad, which is located on one of the branches of the Great Silk Road, the tourist capital of the Turkic world in 2025.
President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the unity in the position of the member countries of the OTS should become an example for other states. "Our most important force in the fight against global challenges is the unity and solidarity of the Turkic world. We see the truth in the events we have been facing lately. Azerbaijan has completely freed itself from the occupation that lasted for 30 years in Karabakh. And we are proud and happy about this historic achievement," the Turkish President said.
The honorary guest of the Summit, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov voiced his vision of the future expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation in the OTS space.
In turn, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban noted the growing role of OTS, and expressed readiness to make a significant contribution to the work of the Turkic Investment Fund. During the Summit, the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev was awarded the "Highest Order of the Turkic World" for his significant contribution to strengthening the unity of the Turkic world.
In conclusion, the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev summed up the results of the Summit, noted the important decisions taken and the agreements concluded.
Following the Summit, the Heads of states signed the Astana Act and the Astana Declaration. A number of important decisions were also taken in the field of economy, trade, transport, customs, finance, education, tourism, culture, etc. The next OTS Summit is to be held in Kyrgyzstan.
