Leaders welcome new name of body to Organization of Turkic States

The presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan attended the eighth summit of the Turkic Council in Istanbul where they welcomed the new name of the organization.

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said at the opening of the summit that his country is "an integral part of the Turkic world."

"Kyrgyzstan will continue to take an active role in the relations and kinship of the Turkic world," he said.

Japarov expressed "full support" for decisions such as the changing of the group's name to the Organization of Turkic States and the adoption of a "Vision Document" for the next two decades.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev drew attention to ongoing developments in Afghanistan and said that country should not become an oasis for terrorists.

"It is extremely important to prevent Afghanistan from falling into a humanitarian crisis, being isolated in the international arena and becoming a haven for terrorists. We must have a common and unified approach to dialogue with Afghanistan," he said.

He welcomed the decision to change the body's name and invited all Turkic leaders to Uzbekistan that will play host to the next summit.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted that the Turkic Council's status and effect have strengthened each year and urged leaders to "use the geopolitical perspective of the Turkish world correctly."

Kazakhstan's founding President Nursultan Nazarbayev via video message welcomed the name change and said it would make the organization's mission more interactive.

He said that a new era has begun for the Turkic world and invited everyone to the city of Turkestan which was proclaimed "the spiritual capital of the Turkic World."

The Turkic Council was formed in 2009 to promote cooperation among Turkic-speaking states.