Turkic world opening up new horizons, says top Turkish official

By Mehmet Tosun

ANKARA (AA) – The Turkic world will continue to play an important role in the world politics as it opens up new horizons, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Wednesday.

"Especially in recent days, we have been going through a very strategic, historical, and critical period in which the Turkic world has started to recover. The Turkic world is reuniting, opening into a new horizon.

"The political vision of our organization, which was redefined as the Organization of Turkic States, is one of the most concrete results of this," Kalin told a workshop in the capital Ankara.

Kalin said in recent years, especially as a result of developments in Türkiye as well as in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and the other Turkic republics, the unity and solidarity of the Turkic world has ceased to be just an opportunity and is now a strategic necessity.

"Especially recently, the 44-day Karabakh victory (of Azerbaijan in fall 2020) has been a very important source of pride and hope for the Turkic world, showing what we can achieve if we come together, act together, and combine our strategic opportunities and capabilities," he added, referring to Azerbaijan’s triumph over Armenian forces in a conflict over the Caucasus territory of Karabakh.

Recent developments show that the Turkic world and Central Asia will continue to play a vital role, especially in the energy and food crisis that emerged with the Ukraine war, Kalin said, explaining: "A very important part of the world's energy reserves are located in our Turkic region. The world has two major energy reserves, one is the Middle East and the second is the Turkic world."

On a trilateral summit between Türkiye, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan set to be held in Turkmenistan on Dec. 14, Kalin said this meeting constitutes one of the most critical stages.

Kalin also hailed the Organization of Turkic States decision to give observer status to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) at a summit last month in Uzbekistan.

"It is also important for us that the Turkish world takes care of the Cyprus issue ... From now on, it is the most important mission of the Turkic world and Turkish states to protect not only the Turkish Cypriots, but also Turkish and related communities, wherever they are in the world, and to show that they are not alone," he added.

* Writing by Diyar Guldogan in Ankara