By Burak Dag and Zehra Nur Duz
ANKARA (AA) - The Turkish president on Friday stressed the significance of cooperation among the municipalities of Turkic states.
Speaking at the 6th General Assembly of the Union of Turkish World Municipalities in Istanbul, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: "Rising global political and economic crises make such organizations more important."
Drawing attention to the close cooperation among the member states of the Istanbul-based union, Erdogan said: "We will be successful only if we confront those who are ready to set the whole world on fire for their own safety and well-being."
Referring to the raison d’etre of some international organizations, Erdogan stressed the necessity of reforming the structures that bring all states together, including the UN.
In the upcoming period, we can see that the geography of Eurasia will become the center of gravity in the world, he said.
Erdogan noted: "Even ancient trade routes such as the Silk Road are trying to be revived with the construction of new highways and railways."
Türkiye will dedicate all its experience and potential to the service of the municipalities of the Turkic world, he added. "We will look for ways to develop our cities while preserving their historical and cultural identity."
At the Azerbaijan Summit in 2000, the presidents of the countries speaking the Turkic languages and dialects have taken a decision to “develop cooperation among the local governments.”
The Union of the Turkish World Municipalities was established by the decision of the Council of Ministers on Nov. 12, 2003, with the aim of carrying out studies on the cities and towns where Turkic languages and dialects are spoken or have a geographical, historical, and cultural relationship with the Turkophone areas.
The union, with at least 1,179 member municipalities from 30 countries, conducts a variety of programs and projects to develop cooperation among local governments in friendly countries in the geographical area extending from the Balkans to the Caucasus and Central Asia, according to its website.