The first summit of heads of government of the Organization of Turkic States (OTU) was held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, ushering in a new stage of regional cooperation

The inaugural meeting of heads of government and vice presidents of the member states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTU) took place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Representatives from the six countries gathered to discuss economic, energy, and security cooperation.

On September 18, 2025, the Presidential Administration Center in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, hosted a highly anticipated regional cooperation conference: the first summit of heads of government and vice presidents of the member states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTU).

The meeting brought together Prime Minister Ali Asadov of Azerbaijan, Prime Minister Olzhaz Bektenov of Kazakhstan, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Adilbek Kasimaliyev of Kyrgyzstan, Vice President Devdeit Yilmaz of Turkey, Prime Minister Abdullah Aripov of Uzbekistan, and Secretary-General of the OTU Kubanechbek Omuraliyev.

01 Meeting Background and Core Agenda

The Organization of Turkic States, formerly the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States, was established in October 2009 and officially changed its name to the Organization of Turkic States in November 2021. The organization currently has six member states: Turkey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan.

This summit meeting is the first dedicated meeting of the Organization of Turkic States since its establishment, marking a new phase in the organization's institutional development.

The meeting agenda focused on priority areas of cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, investment, transportation, digitalization, energy, and agriculture. Participants also discussed improving the operational mechanisms of the Organization of Turkic States and further deepening cooperation.

02 Previous Summits and Achievements

The development of the Organization of Turkic States has undergone a gradual process of deepening. In 1992, under the auspices of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan jointly convened the first Summit of Turkic-speaking States.

On October 3, 2009, the Summit of Turkic-Speaking States was officially upgraded to the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan.

On November 12, 2021, at the 8th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Istanbul, the leaders of the six countries announced that the "Council of Turkic-Speaking States" would be renamed the "Organization of Turkic States."

At the 11th Summit of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States, held in Bishkek on November 6, 2024, the leaders held in-depth discussions on the theme of "Strengthening the Turkic World: Economic Integration, Sustainable Development, a Digital Future, and Security for All."

The summit adopted important documents, including the "Bishkek Declaration" and the "Turkic Green Vision: United for a Sustainable Future," and decided to declare Bishkek the "Digital Capital" of the Organization of Turkic States by 2025.

03 Diversified Areas of Cooperation

Economic cooperation is a core agenda of the Organization of Turkic States. At previous summits, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev advocated for strengthening economic, cultural, and digital cooperation within the Turkic world, believing that the effective operation of the Turkic Investment Fund would significantly contribute to deepening integration among Turkic states.

Transport connectivity is another key area of ​​focus. The Organization of Turkic States (OTS) particularly emphasized strengthening transport links among member states of the Trans-Caspian International East-West Transport Corridor (TCEC) and removing existing obstacles to efficient, stable, and seamless transport.

Regarding energy cooperation, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov invited member states to participate in the construction of the Kambar-Ata-1 hydropower station project and proposed establishing a regional technology and "green" initiative center within the OTS framework to promote the development of renewable energy.

Digital development is also a key area of ​​cooperation. The 2024 summit decided to declare Bishkek the "Digital Capital" of the OTS by 2025.

04 Cultural Identity and Educational Cooperation

Cultural identity is a key bond of the OTS. Turkic states share similar languages ​​and cultural customs, and the majority of their populations practice Sunni Islam. These countries have a combined population of over 100 million and a total area of ​​4,730,462 square kilometers.

In terms of educational cooperation, the Organization of Turkic States is promoting the unification of the Turkic alphabet. Turkish President Erdogan stated at the 2024 summit, "The Organizing Committee reached an agreement in Baku in September on 'unifying the 34-letter Latin alphabet.'"

Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Northern Cyprus are ready to switch to a single Turkic alphabet; Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan are in the process of transitioning to the new alphabet.

Countries are also collaborating on the development of unified history textbooks. The Ministers of Education of Turkey, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Kyrgyzstan announced that the four countries will publish a unified history textbook for primary and secondary schools, "A General History of the Turks," in two volumes.

05 International Perspective and Geopolitical Position

The Organization of Turkic States emphasizes cooperation with major regional powers. Kazakhstan's founding President Nursultan Nazarbayev once stated that the Turkic world hopes to maintain stable and mutually cooperative relations with countries and organizations such as Russia, China, India, and the European Union.

He emphasized that "the integration of the Turkic world will promote Eurasian unity and contribute to strengthening its security system." He added that the new organization is not targeted at any country, and its work is consistent with the fundamental objectives and principles of the UN Charter.

Hungary participates in the organization's activities as an observer state. At the 2024 summit, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán pledged to contribute $100 million to the organization's budget. Orbán has advised the Organization of Turkic States not to try to emulate the European Union, criticizing the EU's "terrible bureaucracy."

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is also an observer state. Its President, Ersin Tatar, stated at the 2024 summit that the unity of brotherly nations sharing the same language, religion, culture, roots, and ancestry brings strength to the Turkic world.

06 Challenges and Future Development

The Organization of Turkic States faces multiple challenges. Kyrgyz political analyst Bakty Baktayev noted, "We shouldn't expect the Organization of Turkic States summit to achieve any particularly significant political outcomes or a highly unified stance on international issues, given the geographical dispersion and divergent interests of the countries."

Kazakh expert Jansaya Nuralieva believes that differences in economic development and political systems among countries can create difficulties in deepening cooperation. For example, while Uzbekistan has been developing relations with Turkey in recent years, it has maintained a more balanced foreign policy.

The Organization of Turkic States also faces competition from global players such as the EU, China, and Russia. Experts point out, "China has significant advantages and growing economic influence in Central Asia, while Western sanctions against Russia will affect the progress of some joint economic projects in the region."

Despite this, the organization is steadily advancing cooperation. Nuralieva believes, "The Organization of Turkic States summit can serve as a platform for developing joint policies to minimize external pressure and enhance domestic economic sustainability."

The Organization of Turkic States (OTS), formerly known as the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States, was established in 2009 and officially changed its name to the Organization of Turkic States in November 2021.

The organization's member states include Turkey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan, with a combined population exceeding 100 million and a total area of ​​4.73 million square kilometers.

The convening of its first summit meeting demonstrates that the OTS is moving toward more institutionalized and pragmatic cooperation.