AZERBAIJAN — ORGANIZATION OF TURKISH STATES
The main purpose of the activity of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States is the international intergovernmental organization, which is the contribute to the comprehensive cooperation between Turkic-speaking countries. The organization was established in accordance with the Nakhchivan agreement signed at the Zirva meeting of the heads of Turkic-speaking countries held in Nakhchivan on October 3, 2009.
The main activity goals and objectives of the organization are determined by the Nakhchivan Agreement and consist of:
- Strengthening mutual trust between the parties;
- Establishment of peace in the region and the world;
- Promote a common approach to foreign policy issues;
- Coordination of the fight against international terrorism, separatism, extremism and transnational crime;
- Strengthening regional and bilateral cooperation in all areas of common interest;
- Creating favorable conditions for trade relations and investment;
- Striving for comprehensive and balanced economic growth, social and cultural development;
- Expanding mutual relations in the fields of Science, Technology, Education and culture;
- Promote communication between mess media as well as exchange of information on a large scale;
- Expanding the exchange of loyal information, cooperation in the field of law.
The structure of the CCTS in order to be able to fulfill its tasks and achieve the goals set, it formulated as follows:
- Council of Heads of State;
- Council of Foreign Ministers;
- Council of Elders;
- Secretariat;
- Coordination Committee;
- Representative Office of the Turkic Council in Budapest.
The member country, which hosted a meeting of the Council of Heads of State, presides over the CCTS until the next summit.
In such a short period of time the number of members of the organization established between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkiye reached 7, and 2 more countries – Hungary and Turkmenistan – received observer status. Thus, under the common flag of the organization of Turkic states, all sovereign and independent Turkic states have united in the world, as well as Hungary, which considers itself part of the Turkic world, is also part of the organization.
The organization of Turkic states attaches great importance to cooperation with international organizations. The organization has already established relations with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Organization of Economic Cooperation, the OSCE, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, the conference on interaction and trust measures in Asia, and a number of UN agencies. Today, many states expressed their desire to get status in the organizations of Turkic states, which testifies to its high international reputation.
The extraordinary Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the CCTS was held on April 10, 2020 through a video conference on “solidarity and cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic”. At the Extraordinary Summit “Baku Declaration of the Extraordinary Summit of the Cooperation Council of Turkic- Speaking States” was adopted.
The parties were instructed by the Council of Heads of state by fully mobilizing scientific, innovative, technological and medical potentials to combat the pandemic.
In order to ensure the implementation of the decision of the extraordinary summit, meetings of the heads of the organizations responsible for health, transport, economy, customs and migration of the CCTS member and observer countries were held through video conference. At the same time, work on the implementation of the decisions taken during these meetings continues within the framework of the mechanisms established between the relevant structures.
On March 31, 2021, the unofficial CCTS summit was held via video conference. Turkestan declaration was adopted at the summit. Turkistan City of Kazakhstan has also been declared the “spiritual capital” of the Turkic world.
CCTS attaches great importance to cooperation with international organizations. The organization has already established relations with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the organization of Economic Cooperation, the OSCE, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, the conference on interaction and trust measures in Asia, the UN, the World Tourism Organization.
The CCTS has always supported Azerbaijan’s fair position on the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. CCTS Secretariat made regular statements on the events of Tovuz in July 2020 and provocations carried out by Armenia starting from September 27, CCTS Secretary General Baghdad Amreyev visited Ganja city in October 2020, made a statement demonstrating solidarity on behalf of the Turkic world in connection with the missile fore of Ganja by Armenia. At the same time, CCTS delegation visited the liberated Aghdam and Fuzuli regions.
At the VIII Zirva meeting of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking states held in Istanbul on November 2021, 12. It was decided to continue the activity of the Turkic Council, which is becoming an important platform in the political system of the world, under the name of the Organization of Turkic states.
The status of “Organization” allows the Turkish states to raise relations in all spheres to a higher level. The very important concept of “vision of the Turkic world- 2040” was adopted at the historic Istanbul summit and a declaration was signed between the leaders. The Declaration defining the future goals of the Turkic world states contains important points.
One of the important decisions at the Zirva meeting was the adoption of provisions on the organization’s observers and partners. Another important decision was the creation of the Turkish investment fund, the first financial institution in the Turkic world. The establishment of the fund will play an important role in strengthening cooperation between the number countries of the organization, increasing the volume of trade turnover and mutual investments. President of the Republic of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented Ilham Aliyev the Supreme Order of the Turkic world at the VIII Zirva meeting.
On March 31, 2022, at the extraordinary meeting of the TURKSOY Permanent Council in Bursa, it was decided to declare Shusha the cultural capital of the Turkic world in 2023.