OTS Secretary General addresses on occasion of 3 October – Turkic States Cooperation Day
AKIPRESS.COM – Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) Kubanychbek Omuraliev issued a message marking Turkic States Cooperation Day, observed on October 3.
This year marks the 17th anniversary of the signing of the Nakhchivan Agreement, the document that laid the institutional foundations of the organization and reflected the shared commitment of Turkic states to building their future together.
“On this meaningful day of 3 October – Turkic States Cooperation Day, we proudly commemorate the 17th anniversary of the signing of the Nakhchivan Agreement, the historic document that laid the institutional foundations of our Organization and gave concrete expression to the shared aspiration of the Turkic States to build their future together.
Seventeen years ago, our countries came together around a simple but powerful conviction: that the bonds of common history, language, culture and brotherhood should be transformed into structured, practical and forward-looking cooperation.
Today, we can look back with pride at how far we have come.
The Organization of Turkic States has evolved into a comprehensive and increasingly action-oriented international organization. Our cooperation today extends across 64 mechanisms, ranging from political dialogue, economy, trade, transport and energy to digitalization, artificial intelligence, health, environment, education, youth, security and space technologies.
The pace of this institutional expansion has been particularly remarkable in recent years. Since 2023 alone, 32 new cooperation mechanisms have been established, equal to the total number developed over the preceding years up to the end of 2022. These have opened important new dimensions of cooperation, including disaster and emergency management, justice and internal affairs, environment and ecology, industry, science, innovation and technology, defence industry, central banks, green finance, financial intelligence, intellectual property, labour and social security, taxation, forensic science, metrology, analytical centres, and technoparks and innovation agencies.
This expansion is significant not simply in numerical terms. It demonstrates how the OTS has moved into more strategic, specialized and operational fields of cooperation, bringing an increasingly diverse range of national institutions into the Organization’s framework.
Yet the transformation of the OTS cannot be measured only by the growing number of meetings, mechanisms or areas of cooperation. Equally important has been the growing confidence with which the Turkic States act together and engage with the wider international community. Our political consultations have become more substantive, our institutional networks have grown stronger, and our engagement with international organizations and external partners has continued to broaden.
Our political dialogue has become more frequent and substantive. Our institutions interact more closely, our economies are becoming increasingly connected, and new networks are bringing together our businesses, universities, young people, experts and societies. What is particularly important is not simply the expansion of our agenda, but our growing ability to think together, plan together and act together.
At the same time, the OTS has developed a stronger international profile. Our engagement with international and regional organizations, third countries and other partners has steadily expanded, while the voice and visibility of the Turkic World have become increasingly prominent on the international stage.
Our cooperation is therefore no longer defined solely by what we do among ourselves, but also by the contribution we can collectively make to regional stability, connectivity, sustainable development, dialogue and international cooperation.
Today, our countries and peoples are increasingly conscious of the potential we possess when we work together. We understand more clearly that cooperation reinforces our individual strengths, and that the historical and cultural bonds that unite us are not only a legacy of the past, but also a powerful foundation for building our common future.
This year’s Turkic States Cooperation Day carries a particularly personal meaning for me.
As I approach the completion of my tenure as Secretary General, I look back on nearly four years of service to our Organization with profound gratitude and a deep sense of responsibility.
When I assumed this duty in November 2022, I did so with the conviction that the future strength of the OTS would be measured not only by the depth of our historical and cultural bonds, but by our ability to transform those bonds into practical cooperation, stronger institutions and tangible benefits for our States and peoples.
Over these four years, I have had the privilege of witnessing this transformation at close hand.
I have seen our Organization broaden its horizons, strengthen its institutional foundations, deepen cooperation among its Members and Observers, and develop new partnerships beyond the Turkic World.
But perhaps most importantly, I have witnessed a growing sense of trust, confidence and common purpose.
Today, the Turkic World knows itself better, communicates more closely and approaches the future with a stronger understanding that each of us becomes stronger, more secure and more prosperous when we work together.
For me, this growing awareness is among the most valuable achievements of our common journey.
None of this would have been possible without the political will, foresight and unwavering support of our Heads of State. I express my profound gratitude to Their Excellencies for the trust and guidance they have extended to the Organization and to the Secretariat throughout my tenure.
I am equally grateful to our Ministers of Foreign Affairs, governments, institutions, experts and all those across our Member and Observer States whose dedication has transformed the decisions of our Leaders into concrete cooperation.
The Turkic World Vision 2040 provides us with our long-term direction. Our task in the years ahead is to translate this vision ever more decisively into implementation—to deepen our economic and physical connectivity, embrace technological transformation, strengthen the resilience and prosperity of our societies, invest in our younger generations, and ensure that our cooperation produces results that our citizens can see and experience.
At the same time, as our internal cooperation grows stronger, so too should our engagement with the wider world. A more united and confident Turkic World can be an even stronger partner for the international community, contributing to peace, stability, connectivity, sustainable development and dialogue across our wider region and beyond.
The OTS today rests on stronger foundations. Its institutions are more mature, its cooperation is deeper, its partnerships are wider and its international presence is more visible. Above all, the determination of our States and peoples to continue this journey together is stronger.
It has been one of the greatest honours of my professional life to contribute to this endeavour and to serve the Turkic World as Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States.
On this special occasion, I extend once again my heartfelt congratulations to the Heads of State, governments and peoples of all our Member and Observer States, as well as to the entire Turkic World,” Omuraliev said.
