Gabala hosted the 12th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States

On 7 October 2025, Secretary General Mehmet Süreyya Er attended the Twelfth Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), held under the theme “Regional Peace and Security”, in Gabala, Republic of Azerbaijan. The Summit hosted by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev was attended by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov, President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán, the National Leader of the Turkmen People, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Ersin Tatar and Secretary General of the OTS Kubanychbek Omuraliev. The Chairman and members of the Council of Elders of the OTS and the heads of Turkic Cooperation Organizations also took part in the Summit. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev warmly welcomed participants to Gabala and expressed gratitude to the Kyrgyz Republic for its successful chairmanship of the OTS. He highlighted the Organization’s growing geopolitical role, strengthened by common history, culture, and national and spiritual values. The Heads of State delivered their speeches during the meeting and reaffirmed their steadfast commitment to strengthening and expanding cooperation within the Turkic World, as well as promoting solidarity among Turkic States through the framework of the OTS. The Heads of State also underscored the significance of further reinforcing the roles of Turkic Cooperation Organizations. Significant decisions were taken during the Summit, including the granting of observer status to Turkmenistan in both the Turkic Academy and the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation; Decision on the Establishment of the “OTS+” format as a flexible framework for cooperation with external partners in areas of mutual interest; and Decision on the Development and Strengthening of the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY). The Chairmanship of the Organization was handed over from the Kyrgyz Republic to the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Heads of State signed the documents finalized by the CFM and adopted the Gabala Declaration. It was decided to hold the next Regular Summit of the OTS in Türkiye in fall 2026, while the Informal Summit will be hosted by Kazakhstan in 2026. On the occasion of the Summit, Leaders of the Member States and Observers as well as the Secretary General of the OTS attended the live online ceremony of laying the foundation stone for a mosque to be built in Fuzuli by Turkmenistan.