Foreign ministers from the Organization of Turkic States will gather in Istanbul on March 7 for an informal meeting hosted by Turkish top diplomat Hakan Fidan, diplomatic sources have said.
According to the sources in Ankara, Fidan is expected to call on the Turkic world to adopt a common stance on ongoing conflicts involving the United States, Israel and Iran, as well as attacks targeting third countries, and to help create space for diplomacy.
Fidan is set to stress that expanding cooperation among member states has become increasingly important amid a period of global uncertainty and regional instability.
The minister will seek support from counterparts to prevent further escalation of tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan and to push for an end to what Ankara describes as unjust treatment of Turkish Cypriots.
Foreign ministers from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are expected to attend the meeting, where participants will review recent developments within the organization and discuss steps for the coming period.
The gathering will also include bilateral meetings between Fidan and his counterparts, while President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to host the visiting ministers at a reception.
The organization was established as the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking Countries in 2009 through an agreement signed by Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It was renamed the Organization of Turkic States in 2021 following a decision taken at a summit in Istanbul.
The body aims to strengthen mutual trust among Turkic states, reinforce political solidarity and deepen economic and technical cooperation, while also promoting the historical and cultural heritage of the Turkic world.
The organization currently has five members, including Uzbekistan, and four observers: Hungary, Turkmenistan, Turkish Cyprus and the Economic Cooperation Organization.
The group’s next informal summit is scheduled to take place in Kazakhstan in the first half of the year, while Türkiye is set to host the 13th official summit in the second half of the year.
