President Aliyev underscores Turkic world ties as regional conflicts widen “We have no other family”

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has warned that the expanding geography of ongoing wars is making regional security increasingly critical, while stressing the importance of solidarity and closer cooperation among the countries of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS). 

Speaking at a meeting with security officials of OTS member states, Aliyev also called for stronger international standing for the organisation and greater cooperation in addressing shared security and societal challenges, Caliber.Az reports, citing state media.

“Wars are raging around us, with no end or resolution in sight. The geography of these wars is expanding,” President Ilham Aliyev said.

He pointed to the increasingly open hostility between parties involved in ongoing conflicts and warned that this could further widen the areas affected by war.

“Mutual hostility between the warring parties is taking an overt form. All of this can lead—and in principle is leading—to the expansion of the geography of conflicts existing along the perimeter of our countries,” Aliyev noted, pointing out that Azerbaijan is currently bordered to both the north and south by countries involved in war. “In this context, issues related to regional security are naturally of paramount importance.”

Against this backdrop, the president emphasised the OTS’s capacity to assume a stronger position on the international stage, noting the growing potential of its member states and their broad geographic reach.

“The overall sentiment among the leaders of the member states is specifically aimed at strengthening the role and position of the OTS on the international stage. All the necessary capabilities are there for this,” he said.

“The potential of our countries is quite substantial and continues to grow. We are located across a vast geographical expanse,” Aliyev added.

He also underscored the organization’s standing and the breadth of issues addressed through its various cooperation formats, ranging from international security and multiculturalism to trade, transport and humanitarian ties.

“The Organization of Turkic States is an organization with great international authority,” the president said.

Aliyev stressed that, with many of the major challenges already addressed, the focus should now shift toward deeper interaction among member states and expanding the OTS’s international role.

“Today, in essence, we have left the vast majority of problems behind—by problems, I mean the global challenges facing us,” President Ilham Aliyev said.

“Ahead of us lie joint work, the strengthening of interaction, the establishment of closer ties among our countries and peoples, and the enhancement of the Organization of Turkic States’ role in the international arena. Through our joint efforts, we must strive to turn the OTS into one of the leading international institutions, one of the leading international organizations,” the head of state added.

The president also drew attention to continued attempts to undermine the state interests of OTS countries, particularly through efforts targeting younger generations.

“The principles of operation directed from certain international centers toward undermining the state interests of our countries remain unchanged,” President Ilham Aliyev said.

He noted that such efforts are particularly focused on young people, who are still developing their views and can therefore be more vulnerable to external influence: “That is precisely why I say—and I know that an active youth policy is pursued in each of our countries—that within the OTS framework we should pay greater attention to interaction among our youth organizations.”

Aliyev further stressed that national identity and traditional values should remain central to efforts to strengthen the resilience of Turkic societies.

“In our countries (OTS member states – ed.), national principles and the principles of national identity take precedence over other principles that outside forces sometimes attempt to instill in us,” President Ilham Aliyev said.

He said that educating younger generations in line with these principles should form an important area of joint work within the OTS.

“Educating the younger generation in our countries in the spirit of patriotism, fidelity to national principles, and our moral values is also crucial. In this context, of course, this represents a broad domain in which the OTS must actively work, including within the framework of measures related to youth policy,” Aliyev noted.

Turning to Azerbaijan’s domestic experience, the president said that commitment to national and moral values remains firmly rooted in society.

“Treasonous, anti-national, and traitorous structures in Azerbaijan are essentially of an extremely marginal nature. Most importantly, they are condemned by the absolute majority of our people. Because in Azerbaijan, fidelity to moral values, traditions, and our way of life remains the main direction and primary trend,” President Ilham Aliyev stated.

He stressed that attempts to challenge these principles face strong opposition from Azerbaijani society, while warning that efforts aimed at destabilising OTS member states would continue.

“However, this does not mean that our work is complete, as attempts to destabilize our countries will continue,” the Azerbaijani leader said.

Alongside political and security cooperation, Aliyev highlighted the importance of strengthening bilateral economic ties among Turkic states, describing Azerbaijan’s bilateral agenda as being closely oriented toward the Turkic world.

“We have established joint investment funds with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan,” he said, noting that work to attract and mobilise mutual investments is continuing.

“In other words, our country’s bilateral agenda is primarily oriented toward the countries of the Turkic world. As I have repeatedly stated in my public speeches, this is our main foreign policy priority. Among other things, I have said that the Turkic world is our family, and we have no other family,” Aliyev added.

The president also pointed to the strategic importance of the natural resources available to OTS member states and their role in strengthening national economies and contributing to global stability.

“Our countries possess extensive natural resources, which is also a major advantage. These natural resources serve to strengthen our states, enhance the well-being of our peoples, and play an important role for the entire world,” the president emphasised.

He linked these resources to the wider regional security environment, stressing the growing relevance of energy cooperation.

“Especially in today’s environment unfolding along the perimeter of our borders, issues related to energy security acquire particular significance,” he added.

By Jeyhun Aghazada