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Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will host a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Ankara tomorrow, ahead of the organization's 13th Summit on October 29-30.

According to information obtained from Foreign Ministry sources, the gathering will be the fifth council meeting of the year and is expected to end with the approval of administrative and financial documents on the organization's functioning.

Agenda and expected decisions

The Council of Foreign Ministers is set to hold consultations on areas of cooperation within the OTS and on work aimed at strengthening the organization's institutional structure.

Several documents of an administrative and financial nature concerning how the organization operates are expected to be approved at the close of the meeting. Fidan is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with counterparts on the sidelines.

Fidan's expected address

In his speech at the meeting, Fidan is expected to stress that political dialogue and the ability to act jointly among Turkic states have been strengthened under the OTS, and that shared historical, linguistic, cultural and fraternal ties are being turned into concrete cooperation.

Fidan is also expected to point to developments in Afghanistan and their effects on regional security, stability and connectivity, and to call for more consultation and coordination on the issue among OTS member and observer states.

Priorities under Turkey's chairmanship

During Turkey's term as OTS chair, Fidan is expected to say that priority will be given to expanding the organization's institutional capacity, developing the secretariat's human and financial resources, and intensifying coordination among Turkic cooperation organizations.

Fidan is expected to underline the importance of turning economic and strategic cooperation, particularly in energy, trade, investment, digital transformation and the defense industry, into concrete results. In the same context, Fidan is expected to stress the need to strengthen the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor and reinforce connectivity and economic resilience between Asia and Europe.

Organization and summit background

The Organization of Turkic States was established by the Nakhchivan Agreement, signed on October 3, 2009 by Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, under the name Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States. Its name was changed to the Organization of Turkic States at the Istanbul Summit in 2021.

The OTS, whose secretariat is in Istanbul, has five members: Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. It also has four observers: Hungary, Turkmenistan, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Economic Cooperation Organization. Its goals include reinforcing mutual trust, strengthening political solidarity, deepening economic and technical cooperation, and documenting and promoting the historical and cultural heritage of the Turkic world.

The 13th OTS Summit will be hosted by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on October 29-30. The summit will be held under the theme "Turkic Century: Unity in Language, in Thought, in Deed", inspired by Erdogan's "Century of the Turkic World" vision and the motto of Ismail Bey Gaspirali.

Key takeaways

• The OTS Council of Foreign Ministers meets in Ankara tomorrow, hosted by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
• The meeting is the fifth council gathering this year and is expected to approve administrative and financial documents.
• Fidan is to press for stronger institutional capacity, a better resourced secretariat and a stronger Trans-Caspian Middle Coridor.
• The 13th OTS Summit, hosted by President Erdogan, is set for October 29-30 in Ankara.