Turkic Leaders Ink Ankara Pact as Erdogan Holds Bilateral Talks With Three Presidents
The Organization of Turkic States signed a joint declaration at its 13th summit in Ankara, with leaders pledging deeper cooperation on trade, security, and culture.
Leaders of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) signed a joint declaration on Wednesday at their 13th summit in Ankara, hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan [1]. The summit was held under the theme "Turkic Century: Unity in Language, Thought and Deed," and the declaration sets out a shared vision for deeper cooperation among member states [1].
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev urged Turkic nations to unite around shared strategic goals, telling the gathered leaders, "We all share the same vision for this noble path. We are prepared to mobilize all our strength for the sake of Turkic solidarity" [2]. The OTS is a bloc of Turkic-speaking countries that promotes cooperation on trade, security, and culture [2].
Turkmenistan's President Serdar Berdimuhamedov called on Turkic states to deepen economic cooperation, highlighting the Turkmenbashi port's role in expanding the Middle Corridor trade route, which links China to Europe through Central Asia and the Caspian Sea, bypassing Russia [6]. He also urged closer ties between the OTS and the United Nations, saying stronger cooperation would boost regional trade and connectivity [6].
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov praised Türkiye's growing international standing under Erdogan, crediting the country's rising influence to its political, economic, military, and technological achievements [5].
On the sidelines of the summit, Erdogan held separate bilateral meetings with Berdimuhamedov, Japarov, and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Ersin Tatar, with the talks focused on strengthening ties and regional cooperation [3]. In his meeting with Japarov, Erdogan stressed progress within the OTS, and both sides signaled a stronger partnership between Turkey and Kyrgyzstan [4]. Erdogan also stressed the importance of enhancing relations with Turkmenistan during his talks with Berdimuhamedov, during which the two leaders discussed bilateral relations along with global and regional issues [7].