Organisation of Turkic States has become body of global stature, official says

The Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), an international body with growing global visibility, operates in over 20 areas of cooperation in order to bring the Turkic world closer together, said the group's deputy secretary general.

Omer Kocaman told Anadolu Agency that the organisation aims to establish strong political partnerships between its member countries while economically benefiting from the rich potential and connectivity advantages of Turkic countries, Anadolu reports.

The organisation aims "to guarantee the continuity of an environment of stability and trust in our countries and regions geopolitically," he said.

Formed in 2009, the Organisation of Turkic States promotes cooperation among Turkic-speaking states, including member states Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan, with Hungary and Turkmenistan as observers.

Leaders of the member countries as well as Hungary attend the organisation's summit in the Uzbek city of Samarkand on November 11.

"We are very pleased with the organisation's expansion and strengthening with Uzbekistan, Hungary and Turkmenistan joining our organisation," Kocaman noted.

Saying that Turkic states are working under one entity for the first time in history, Kocaman underlined there are new challenges that the world, including Turkic states, face.

"Multipolarity, which has become more dominant in the international system, causes intense competition between the great powers and decreases predictability while causing the trust-based atmosphere to deteriorate and increasing the risk of conflicts in our region," he said.

Kocaman noted that the COVID-19 pandemic left a great economic burden on countries across the globe, adding "food and water shortages, famine, the rise in energy prices, global warming, mass migrations, social inequality and discrimination are also threats and challenges that have serious consequences".

He emphasised the necessity of further cooperation and coordination between Turkic states in the face of global challenges and threats.