The 12th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States Held in Gabala
The 12th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States was held in the city of Gabala, Republic of Azerbaijan, with the participation of the heads of member states. During the meeting, after speeches and exchanges of views, the leaders signed final documents and decisions, including the “Gabala Declaration”, the “Decision on the Establishment of the Organization of Turkic States Plus”, and the “Memorandum of Understanding on Strengthening and Developing TURKSOY.”
In his speech, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan emphasized the importance of a common alphabet among Turkic countries and announced that Turkey had taken the first step in this regard. He said that, to launch this initiative, a work on “Chingiz Aitmatov” and the collection of “Oghuznamas” had been published in the common alphabet, with copies presented to the leaders of the member states. He also called for the expansion of cooperation in the fields of science and technology and stressed the necessity of creating a “Large Turkish Language Model” in the field of artificial intelligence.
Erdoğan further underlined the need for cooperation in the areas of security, counterterrorism, illegal migration, cyber threats, and climate change, stating: “We can stand together against these threats with a common stance and strengthen our security under a shared sky.” He then turned to regional developments.
He described Israel’s attacks—beginning from Lebanon and Syria and later extending to Yemen, Iran, and ultimately Qatar—as the greatest threat to regional stability. He welcomed the cessation of massacres in Gaza as a positive step and stressed that the only sustainable solution was the establishment of two states based on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. He also referred to developments in Syria, saying: “Despite numerous challenges, the progress made by the Syrian government over the past nine months is promising. We must focus on preserving the territorial integrity of this country, improving political, economic, and security conditions, and enhancing our engagement with Damascus.”
Erdoğan also welcomed the border agreement among Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, calling it a sign of the wisdom and prudence of the leaders of these countries. The Turkish President emphasized the importance of joint projects in the fields of energy, communications, and transportation, and stated that the “Middle Corridor through the Caspian Sea” should become more active and efficient.
Following the ceremony, the heads of state participated via videoconference in the groundbreaking ceremony of a mosque in Fuzuli District, which will be built through the cooperation of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. They later attended an official dinner hosted by Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan. After the conclusion of the programs, Erdoğan, accompanied by a delegation of ministers and senior Turkish officials, departed Gabala from the city’s international airport and returned to Turkey.
