The 12th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States was held on October 6–7, 2025, in Gabala, Azerbaijan. The meeting, chaired by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev at the Heydar Aliyev Congress Center, brought together President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, President Ersin Tatar of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, National Leader and Chairman of the People’s Council of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States Kubanychbek Omuraliev, heads of Turkic cooperation organizations, and members of the Council of Elders.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye made a notable statement at the summit, saying:
“We are facing an international system in which multilateralism is increasingly eroded and the United Nations Security Council remains indifferent to many issues that wound the conscience of humanity. Today, many international and regional organizations are perceived by the public as ineffective structures that place a burden on our shoulders, because they are not built upon noble values such as our shared history, culture, and ideals. It is of great importance that our Organization transforms into a structure that adapts to changing conditions, demonstrates a common stance on international issues, is trusted, and stands by what is right.” In his speech, President Erdoğan also emphasized Türkiye’s initiative regarding the “Common Alphabet,” announcing that a publication on Chinghiz Aitmatov printed using common alphabet, along with a copy of the Oghuzname, would be presented to each leader at the summit. (1)

The summit, dominated by the theme of “Regional Peace and Security,” addressed the economic, cultural, and political agenda of the Organization of Turkic States. At the 12th Summit, where Kyrgyzstan handed over its presidency to Azerbaijan, the heads of state reiterated their commitment to the vision of a peaceful, secure, and prosperous Turkic World. Following the 12th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States, three separate documents were signed: the Decision on the Establishment of the Organization of Turkic States + Format as a flexible framework for cooperation with external partners in areas of mutual interest, the Decision on the Strengthening and Development of TÜRKSOY, and the Declaration of Acceptance of the Organization of Turkic States. (2) The declaration addressed cooperation in various areas, including politics, foreign policy and security, economic and sectoral, inter-governmental, institutional, and external partnerships within the Turkic World. Several key topics stand out in the 121 article text. Article 1 reiterated the Organization of Turkic States determination to strengthen solidarity, cooperation, and coordination in all areas. Article 2affirmed the Organization of Turkic States solidarity in safeguarding the rights of the people of Northern Cyprus, an integral part of the Turkic World, and affirmed the need to reach a negotiated, mutually acceptable, and workable solution to the Cyprus problem based on current realities. Article 3 emphasized the importance of achieving a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and implement a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, with the State of Palestine as its capital, in accordance with UN resolutions. Article 4 reaffirmed the Organization of Turkic States support for the territorial integrity, unity, security, stability, and reconstruction of Syria. Article 5 affirmed that the stability of Afghanistan is vital to the security and prosperity of the Organization’s member states and that the Organization of Turkic States, through its Afghanistan Working Group, is striving to improve coordination on Afghanistan-related issues. Article 6 commended the signing of the Host Country Agreement in Almaty for the UN Sustainable Development Goals Regional Center for Central Asia and Afghanistan. Article 8 underscored the importance of Kyrgyzstan’s efforts to address border issues with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Article 9 encouraged member and observer states to intensify cooperation and act in closer coordination on international platforms to increase the visibility and influence of the Turkic World in global decision-making processes. To this end, the Organization of Turkic States invited its Foreign Ministers to meet more frequently. Article 13 called for the acceleration of the evaluation phase of the draft “Strategic Partnership, Eternal Friendship, and Brotherhood Agreement among Turkic States.” Article 35 commended the institutional progress of the Turkish Investment Fund, the first joint financial institution to strengthen economic integration in the Turkic World, and highlighted its strategic potential for regional development and foreign investment. Article 39 agreed to the signing of the “Strategic Partnership Agreement on Green Energy Development and Transmission” among Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, which envisions the establishment of the Central Asia-Azerbaijan Green Energy Corridor for exports to Europe. Article 60 encouraged the acceleration of the production and launch of the 12U TDT-SAT Cube Satellite, scheduled for launch in 2026. Article 99 welcomed the joint submission of the draft resolution declaring December 15 “World Turkic Language Family Day” to the agenda of the 222nd UNESCO Executive Board at the 43rd UNESCO General Conference to be held in Samarkand. Article 100 congratulated TÜRKPA, TÜRKOY, the Turkic Academy, and the Turkic Cultural Heritage Foundation for their activities, and Article 104 emphasized the need to initiate the development and strengthening of TÜRKOY. (3) Pursuant to this decision, the TÜRKSOY General Secretariat will prepare a comprehensive proposal for institutional development and strengthening with the participation of the culture and foreign ministers of member states, which will then be submitted to the TÜRKSOY Permanent Council for consideration. This project envisions increasing institutional capacity across a wide range of activities, including youth programs, digital visibility of cultural heritage, co-productions and events, and creative industries. (4) Article 105emphasizes the need to enhance cooperation within the framework of TÜRKPA. Article 116 welcomes efforts by third countries and international organizations to develop cooperation with the Organization of Turkic States in areas of mutual interest, and encourages increased joint efforts to obtain observer status for the Organization of Turkic States in the UN General Assembly and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The last article of the Declaration, Article 121,announced that the 13th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States would be held in the Republic of Türkiye in 2026, and the Unofficial Summit would be held in the Republic of Kazakhstan. (5)

A general assessment of the 12th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States, themed “Regional Peace and Security,” held in Gabala, Azerbaijan, on October 7, 2025, reveals that the Organization aims to strengthen cooperation with the Turkic World in the political, economic, cultural, and security spheres. The Gabala Declaration, signed at the end of the summit and reflecting the Turkic World’s goal of consolidating its shared vision and becoming a more effective global actor, emphasized the need to protect the rights of the people of Northern Cyprus, reiterated hopes for a just and lasting peace in conflict zones, resolved to develop and strengthen institutions in the Turkic World, highlighted strategic projects such as space cooperation and the green energy corridor, encouraged the Common Alphabet and cultural events, and aimed to increase the international recognition of the Organization of Turkic States.

Bibliography

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