On November 24, the Solidarity Forum of Non-Governmental Organizations from the Member Countries of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was inaugurated in Baku.

The participants first visited the stands showcasing cultural examples from Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and Hungary.

The opening ceremony featured a video highlighting the historical ties, shared values, and close cooperation among the Turkic states, visually demonstrating the development path and future prospects of these relations.

Hikmet Hajiyev, Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan, read out President Ilham Aliyev’s address to the Forum participants.

More than 500 civil society representatives from Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Hungary, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are attending the event. This is the largest forum organized through the Agency for State Support to Non-Governmental Organizations.

The forum will feature two panel discussions. The first, titled “Zangezur Corridor: A Bridge Uniting the Turkic World,” will focus on regional collaboration and civil society initiatives. The second panel will be dedicated to the “First Azerbaijan–Kazakhstan NGO Cooperation Forum” and will examine opportunities for mutual experience and knowledge exchange.

Today’s discussions in Baku will conclude with a cultural program. The forum will continue its work in Nakhchivan, where a Platform of NGOs from OTS Member Countries is planned to be established. This Platform will be chaired by Azerbaijan and will bring together NGOs from eight countries.

Forum participants will also be invited to the thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), to be held in Azerbaijan in 2026.

The event will conclude with the adoption of a joint statement.