Turkish Parliament hosted the 2nd Meeting of Committees on the Foreign Affairs of Turkic Parliaments

On 18-19 February 2025, the 2nd Meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committees hosted by the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (GNAT) was held in Istanbul. The meeting was attended by the Chairs and representatives of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the parliaments from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Hungary, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), as well as the delegations from the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA), the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY), the Union of Turkish Chambers of Commerce and Industry (TTSO) and representatives from the diplomatic missions. Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye Fuat Oktay, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Interparliamentary Relations Committee of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan Samed Seyidov, Chairman of the International Relations, Defense and Security Committee of the Mazhilis of Kazakhstan Aigul Kuspan, Chairman of the International Relations, Defense, Security and Migration Committee of the Kyrgyz Parliament Ulan Primov, Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs, Defense and Security of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Ulugbek Shermatov, Deputy Chairman of the International and Foreign Economic Relations, Foreign Investments and Tourism Commission of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Odiljon Mamatkarimov, Chairman of the International and Interparliamentary Relations Commission of the Turkmenistan Parliament Maksat Kuliyev, Chairperson of the Legal, Political Affairs, Foreign Relations and Defense Committee of the TRNC Assembly Yasemin Öztürk, Secretary General of TURKPA Mehmet Süreyya Er, Deputy Secretary General of the OTS Ömer Kocaman delivered speeches during the event. During the course of the sessions, TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev also addressed the attendees. The two-day meetings discussed global and regional topics as well as the Turkic World and parliamentary diplomacy. The Chairman of the GNAT Foreign Affairs Committee, Fuat Oktay, who presided over the meeting, delivered remarks in which he stated that they continue to develop multilateral relations with the Turkish world. Mr. Oktay also highlighted that the cooperation mechanisms, which had been developed with great effort by the Turkic countries, were successfully institutionalized in all areas, laying solid foundations. He pointed out that relations were not only growing at the bilateral level but were also expanding at the multilateral level through organizations such as TURKPA, OTS, TURKSOY, the Turkish Investment Fund, the Turkish Culture and Heritage Foundation, the Turkish Academy, and the Union of Turkish Chambers of Commerce and Industry. These efforts contributed significantly to strengthening and deepening the bonds among these countries. TURKPA Secretary General Mehmet Süreyya Er stated that the strong will of the Turkic states for Turkish cooperation has accelerated TURKPA's activities, and emphasized that their presence here today is a result of "common values". Underlining the benefits of a stronger relationship amongst the member states, Secretary General said: “By further strengthening the relations between our states, using the tools of parliamentary diplomacy, a brighter perspective for the prosperity and common future of the Turkic peoples will be created”. Secretary General Er also mentioned the activities of the Secretariat. He highlighted the activities of the Permanent Commissions, Working Groups, Election and Referendum Observations, and how they contribute to the general wellbeing of the Turkic States. On February 19, 2025, a cultural program was arranged for the delegations, providing them with an opportunity to explore the historical landmarks of Istanbul. As part of the program, the delegations had the privilege of visiting the Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace, both of which are renowned for their rich and centuries-old history. Secretary General was accompanied by Secretary of the Commission Kadir Yaman and Acting Secretary of the Commission Aigerim Taalaibekova during the meeting. The inaugural meeting of the Commissions on Foreign Affairs of Parliaments of Turkic States was convened on 25 April 2024, in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. During the second meeting, held in Istanbul, participants engaged in discussions concerning regional and global developments pertaining to the Turkic world, as well as strategies to ensure the regular and effective organization of the meeting. A joint statement was issued at the conclusion of the meeting.