Turkish president urges Turkic states to strengthen role in regional security

By Gizem Nisa Demir and Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday urged Turkic states to play a more active role in maintaining stability and security in the region.

“We believe the Turkic world can take a more active role in the stability and security of our region in many ways,” Erdogan said, speaking at the 12th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in the northern Azerbaijani city of Gabala.

“We are facing an international system in which the UN Security Council remains indifferent to many issues that wound the conscience of humanity,” he noted, criticizing the international system.

Highlighting developments in Syria, the president said: “Despite many challenges, the Syrian government’s progress over the past nine months gives us reason to look to the future with hope.”

He called for deeper engagement: “As Turkic states, we must advance our engagement with the Syrian government.”

On the South Caucasus, Erdogan said: “We do not just follow developments; we sincerely support the steps taken in the region to establish peace and stability.”

He condemned Israel’s latest attacks on Qatar, saying they show that “the greatest threat to our region’s stability comes from the current leadership of this country.”

Erdogan highlighted cultural initiatives, noting: “Regarding the common alphabet, Türkiye is taking the first step, publishing a work on (world-renowned Kyrgyz author) Chinghiz Aitmatov and the Oghuznameh (legendary accounts of Oghuz Turks) in the common alphabet.”