The leaders of the Turkic world have reaffirmed their commitment to regional cooperation, energy security, and development of the Middle Corridor trade route.
The heads of state and government of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) gathered on Saturday in Shusha, Azerbaijan, for an informal summit to highlight unity and development among Turkic nations.
Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz stressed the importance of the Middle Corridor, a transportation route from Türkiye to Central Asia, highlighting its potential to "strengthen cooperation and bring to light the global role of the Turkic world."
He emphasized the necessity of permanent peace in the South Caucasus, saying: "The establishment of permanent peace and stability in the South Caucasus is of great importance not only for countries of the region but also for global security and connectivity."
Yilmaz also highlighted the strategic importance of energy cooperation. "Transporting Turkmen natural gas and trans-Caspian resources to Türkiye and Europe will contribute to both our national welfare and Europe's energy security," he said.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev called for the OTS to become a global power center, leveraging their resources and strategic transportation links.
He said the 21st century should be the century of development for the Turkic world, and emphasized Baku's commitment to expanding the route also known an East-West transport corridor.
Ersin Tatar, the president of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which has an observer status in the organization, expressed the Turkish Cypriot community's eagerness to deepen ties within the OTS framework.
He announced plans for Gazimagusa Port to join the OTS's Sister Ports program, saying: "The TRNC is eager to participate in every field where the OTS operates with all its institutions and organizations and to develop relations."
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted the growing economic influence of OTS countries, and proposed the establishment of a council of Turkic central banks and a Turkic patent institution to bolster economic integration.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, for his part, discussed the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project, which aims to "strengthen mutual communication in transportation among the member countries."
He emphasized the project's potential to create new logistics markets for OTS countries.
Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, meanwhile, said member countries are "determined to open up to major global markets and to revive the Silk Road."
Noting a 27% increase in OTS trade, he proposed establishing a railway administration council and emphasized enhancing the competitiveness of the Trans-Caspian corridor.
Mirziyoyev also called for the Turkic Ecology Council to address climate issues, highlighted the significance of the UN climate summit COP29 in Baku in November, and announced plans to boost Uzbekistan's renewable energy share to 40% by 2030.
Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary, which currently holds the presidency of the European Union and is an observer state in the OTS, said he considers the EU presidency as a peace mission, and which is why he visited both Ukraine and Russia to resolve their conflict that started in February 2022.
He said the world faces a risk of getting dividing into two blocs due to the war in Ukraine, and called the OTS a significant bloc that promotes cooperation between the east and west.
The summit concluded with the signing of the Karabakh Declaration, reinforcing the commitment to a sustainable future through enhanced transportation and climate action.
