Organization of Turkic States countries must maintain close consultations: Top Turkish diplomat

By Zehra Nur Duz

ANKARA (AA) – Ahead of the group's ninth summit, Türkiye’s foreign minister on Thursday urged close cooperation among members of the Organization of Turkic States.

“We are going through a difficult time. We must maintain close consultations and develop medium- and long-term strategies that will make us resilient in the face of shocks,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said during a meeting of the group’s foreign ministers in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

The Turkic World Vision 2040 document, which was approved by the organization’s heads of state at its eighth summit in Istanbul last November, was an “important step for the long term,” Cavusoglu said.

Finalizing the strategy document, which is the first five-year implementation guide of the bloc’s vision document, was one of the priorities of Türkiye’s term presidency of the bloc, Cavusoglu noted, adding: “It is our common duty to ensure that these decisions are implemented.”

Cavusoglu underlined that recent developments also present opportunities for the member states.

“We have to develop connections and transport corridors between member countries. This target is an important element of both the vision document and the strategy document,” he added.

The foreign ministers’ meeting comes ahead of a Turkic Council Summit in Samarkand through Friday, including the attendance of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.