Ankara hosts Turkic leaders for summit, Republic Day - Hürriyet Daily News

ANKARA

Ankara is hosting Turkic leaders for Republic Day celebrations and a summit at which Türkiye will take over the rotating chairmanship of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) from Azerbaijan.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will chair the leaders’ meeting at the Presidential Complex on Oct. 30. Foreign ministers are scheduled to meet a day earlier, as Türkiye marks the 103rd anniversary of the republic’s founding.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived on Oct. 28 and was welcomed by Erdoğan at an official ceremony.

Their talks covered trade, investment, energy, transport and defense industry cooperation, according to the Communications Directorate.

The 13th summit will be held under the theme “Turkic Century: Unity in Language, Thought and Deed.”

Leaders will discuss political and economic cooperation, energy, digital transformation and defense ties, alongside regional and international developments.

Strengthening the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor, which links Asia and Europe, is expected to be a focus of discussions on transport and trade.

Leaders are expected to adopt the Ankara Declaration and appoint a new secretary-general.

Türkiye’s priorities during its chairmanship include improving the secretariat’s staffing and finances and strengthening coordination among Turkic cooperation bodies.

Erdoğan’s Republic Day program includes a visit to Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and an evening dinner and concert with visiting leaders and delegations.

Founded in 2009 and renamed in 2021, the OTS comprises Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Hungary, Turkmenistan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are observer states.