Digital forum of Organization of Turkic States kicks off in Kyrgyzstan

By Nazir Aliyev Tayfur

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AA) – The Organization of Turkic States (OTS) digital forum began on Wednesday in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan's capital, bringing together officials and technology experts to discuss the most recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and exchange experiences.

The two-day forum, held under the auspices of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and hosted by the Ministry of Digital Development, brought together government officials, leading AI experts, diplomats, business leaders, academics, and tech community representatives.

Key participants at the forum included Kyrgyzstan's Deputy Prime Minister Edil Baysalov, Minister of Digital Development Nuriya Kutnayeva, Secretary-General of the Organization of Turkic States Kubanicbek Omuraliyev, and Türkiye's Ambassador to Bishkek Ahmet Sadik Dogan.

Selcuk Bayraktar, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Türkiye Technology Team Foundation (T3 Foundation), also spoke at the event.

Baysalov said the Kyrgyz government has begun to recognize and implement elements of AI, emphasizing, "We aim to learn from the experiences of Turkic states in the field of artificial intelligence at this digital forum."

- Common vision and staying connected

Omuraliyev, for his part, called for collaboration, saying, "Let’s work hand in hand to provide Turkic states with an innovative future, share our common vision, and stay connected."

He highlighted the Turkic states’ rich history and innovative spirit, crucial for the AI revolution.

He urged the use of AI for information exchange, the strengthening of educational programs, and the development of networks to protect society.

- Bayraktar's technological initiatives

Bayraktar spoke at the digital forum about historical developments in Turkish aviation, Baykar's activities in the defense industry, and the national technology initiative led by the Türkiye Technology Foundation.

Bayraktar shared insights into their work with unmanned aerial vehicles, noting that Türkiye developed its first drone systems in 2004.

"Over the past 20 years, our unmanned aerial vehicles have become highly competitive, utilized in both aviation and military industry systems," he said.

He added that with over 5,000 employees, they collaborate with more than 30 countries worldwide, saying, "It is a great honor for me to work alongside our brother states."

He emphasized that they will continue to expand their efforts, revealing that they are working on Kizilelma, the first national unmanned combat aircraft, as well as the Fergani space initiative and a space satellite developed by Baykar.

He emphasized the importance of AI in human life, saying the Turkish Technology Team developed the Turkish large language model, T3 AI.

"This system may be operational this year, and we want it to be accessible to the public. We can promote it across the Turkic world," he said.

"In this dark environment, the world finds itself in, we can only realize our shared future through collaboration, particularly in this evolving field of technology,” Bayraktar told Anadolu after the forum, explaining why the Organization of Turkic States values this digital forum.

"Creating a shared future and uniting societies is essential. We can only get out of this grim situation by building a common future.

"While the world is experiencing significant advancements in artificial intelligence technology, survival will only be possible through cooperation in technology and the economy. Today's technological wave is already indicating this," he added.