President Aliyev: Turkic world experiencing period of renewed growth To participants of OTS forum in Baku

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has sent an address to the participants of the Solidarity Forum of Non-Governmental Organizations from member countries of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), per Azertag.

“Dear Forum participants!

I extend my heartfelt greetings to you at the Solidarity Forum of NGOs from the Organization of Turkic States Member Countries.

The growing potential of the Turkic states and their increasingly strong position on the global stage require setting more ambitious goals, intensifying joint efforts, deepening cooperation across all fields, and establishing more flexible mechanisms. The Solidarity Forum of NGOs from the Organization of Turkic States Member Countries, being held for the first time, is an important step in this direction.

Our brotherly and friendly peoples, who remain committed to the ideals of peace, security, stability, and progress in the region and beyond, are united as one strong family by our shared ethnic roots, history, language, culture, traditions, and values. This, in turn, enables the Turkic states to act as a single center of power.

As the country currently chairing the Organization of Turkic States, Azerbaijan is also working to strengthen public communication and engagement among the civil society institutions of the member countries. The most recent meeting in Baku of the Council of Presidents of the Turkic Red Network of the Organization of Turkic States, the current Solidarity Forum of NGOs, and the upcoming meeting of the OTS’s ministers and senior officials responsible for media and information demonstrate both the scale and the multifaceted nature of the work being carried out in this field.

Today, the Turkic world is experiencing a period of renewed growth and dynamism. The Garabagh Victory we achieved five years ago is a source of shared joy and pride for the Turkic peoples. I am confident that the Garabagh and East Zangezur economic regions, which are currently being rebuilt, and the Zangezur Corridor, once opened, will play a crucial role in advancing development and strengthening cooperation among the Turkic states.

Azerbaijan is ready to launch joint grant competitions for NGOs with the member states of the Organization of Turkic States, both bilaterally and multilaterally, in the fields of history, culture, ecology, climate policy, and other areas, and to support projects that foster mutual communication.

The upcoming centenary of the First Turkological Congress in 2026 presents a timely opportunity to continue the unfinished work on the cultural integration of Turkic peoples, with active participation from NGOs, in response to contemporary challenges.

The joint and coordinated activities of NGOs from the Turkic world within the framework of the UN and other international institutions, as well as their consolidation on a single platform, can make a significant contribution to our common cause and objectives.

I am confident that the cooperative relationships you forge during the forum will help strengthen solidarity, unity, and relations among our countries in the Turkic world.

I once again welcome you to Azerbaijan and wish every success to the Forum’s proceedings.”

For the record, more than 500 representatives of civil society from Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Hungary, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are participating in the event.

By Khagan İsayev