As you know, on November 3, the 10th anniversary summit meeting of the Organization of Turkic States was held in Astana under the call of “Turkish Century”. In fact, the most important point in holding such meetings is the close association and unity of the Turkish states with each other.
In general, Azerbaijan attaches great importance to relations with the countries of Central Asia, including the Turkic states of the region. In recent years, President Ilham Aliyev’s visits to the countries of Central Asia, and the heads of regional states to Azerbaijan, have become regular. This naturally led to the development of inter-country relations and the creation of new opportunities for cooperation. The holding of the 10th anniversary summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, under the call of the “Turkish Century” is a clear indication of further expansion of relations in the Turkic world.
In recent years, the relations between the Turkish states have become intensive in all fields and are being rapidly developed in accordance with the requirements of the time and the ongoing processes. Strengthening relations with member countries of the Organization of Turkic States in all fields is one of the main directions of our country’s foreign policy.
If we look at Azerbaijan’s bilateral relations, we can see that relations with Turkish states are deepening in many areas. President of the country Ilham Aliyev visited Kazakhstan three times in the last two years. As mentioned at the summit, the development of bilateral and multilateral relations should not be limited only to the economic, political and cultural spheres, taking into account the geopolitical situation in the region, the relations should be strengthened in areas such as the military and defense industry.
Let me also mention that considering the ethnic and cultural roots, language, and common history of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, we can be sure that the progress of this meeting will bring positive results. And the fact that the President of Kazakhstan congratulated President Ilham Aliyev and the people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of ensuring Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is a sign of the unity of the Turkic states.
At the meeting, they talked about the large-scale measures implemented by Azerbaijan in the territories freed from occupation, it was emphasized that historical justice has triumphed, and important results have been achieved in the direction of transforming Karabakh, which is an integral part of Azerbaijan, into a construction territory.
Speaking at the Summit, the head of state said: “Strengthening relations with Turkish states is one of the main priorities of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy.”
Emphasizing that our ethnic and cultural roots, our language, and our common past form the basis of our relations, the head of state said: “Since the Nakhchivan Summit in 2009, our cooperation in various fields has been established, and the Organization of Turkic States has successfully developed. Today, our organization has great political weight and influence at the international level”.
Emphasizing that he has made 20 visits to member and observer states of the Organization of Turkic States in the last two years, the head of state emphasized that the leaders of brotherly states also made numerous visits to Azerbaijan during that period. The President of Azerbaijan expressed his gratitude for the support given to the declaration of the city of Shusha as the “cultural capital of the Turkish world” for 2023.
In his speech, Mr. President noted that, unfortunately, international legal norms are grossly violated in various regions of the world today. Noting that wars and bloody conflicts flare up, Ilham Aliyev said: “In such a case, first of all, the defense potential of countries becomes the main guarantee of security. I believe that cooperation between member countries in areas such as security, defense, and defense industry should increase further”.
In the end, I want to say with certainty that the Turkish Council has achieved great success in the implementation of its tasks. The ranks of the Turkish state union are expanding year by year. The realities of recent years also show that the organization is effectively using its capabilities for the benefit of the Turkic-speaking peoples. Azerbaijan’s victory in the Patriotic War will further revive the activity of the organization in terms of the emergence of new opportunities for cooperation.
Fuad Huseynzade
Secretary of the Public Council under Binagadi District Executive Power, Chairman of the Public Union of Support of Journalists to Diaspora Activities