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Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that lasting peace and long-term stability can only be achieved through continuous coordination and strengthened partnerships among members of the Organization of Turkic States.
Fidan made the remarks on Tuesday at the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) Foreign Ministers' Council Meeting held in Gebele, Azerbaijan, ahead of the 12th summit of the organization.
"The Turkic world must now be a principal actor shaping regional balances," Fidan said.
"The greatest strength of our organization is the deepening of mutual trust and cooperation among members."
"We must meet more frequently in the face of regional and global challenges; as the Turkic world, we must be able to consult promptly on where we need to position ourselves and what joint steps we will take," he noted.
Fidan noted that "regional peace and security," the main theme of the 12th summit, represents the most fundamental priority for the future of the shared geography.
"Lasting peace and long-term stability will only be possible by strengthening the continuous coordination and partnership among us," Fidan said.
"The way to achieve this goal is to act in harmony on geopolitical issues, to strengthen our coordination and cooperation on international platforms, and to be able to address the world with one voice on critical issues," he added.
Fidan underscored that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) joining the organization in 2022 strengthened the unity of the Turkic world.
"We believe that lifting the unjust isolations imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people, an inseparable part of the Turkic world, and recognizing their rights is the responsibility of our Family Council," Fidan said.
"Significant progress has been made toward achieving lasting peace in the South Caucasus, which has indispensable importance for the stability of our shared geography," he noted.
Fidan welcomed the Joint Declaration signed by Azerbaijan and Armenia on Aug. 8 in Washington.
"We believe that with the momentum achieved, the opening of new transportation and communication lines in the region will contribute to our efforts to revive the historic Silk Road route," he said.
Addressing the situation in Gaza, Fidan said the genocide wounds everyone's conscience.
"A lasting ceasefire must be achieved, humanitarian aid must have unhindered access, and the two-state solution must be implemented," he said.
On Syria, Fidan said Türkiye attaches great importance to supporting the country's territorial integrity and unity.
"It is essential that the Syrian people be supported on the path of economic development by taking advantage of the historic opportunity that has been seized," Fidan said.
"On this path, we will continue our efforts to prevent attempts to divide the country and establish an inclusive political process," he added.
Speaking to Azerbaijani media in Gebele on Monday, Fidan stated that the world is undergoing major changes and geostrategic shifts that also affect the Turkic world.
"But the Organization of Turkic States is becoming increasingly institutionalized and acting in a more coordinated manner, making us more resilient to crises," Fidan said.
"This is the institutional stance we all put forward together," he noted.
He noted that states in the Turkic world advancing their economies, infrastructure, technologies, defense capacities, and basic services make each state stronger.
"When each strong state comes together, a stronger structure emerges," Fidan said, adding, "Therefore, as long as we continue on the path we are on, we will face a Turkic world that is more resilient to crises in the world."
Fidan added that country leaders will discuss this issue in Gebele on Wednesday.
He expressed pleasure at being in Gebele for the summit, conveying his respects to Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev.
"We come to Baku a lot; all meetings are in Baku, but introducing a beautiful city of the Turkic world to the leaders of the Turkic world and hosting them here is extremely nice," Fidan said.
Fidan emphasized that establishing stability in the region forms the foundation of Türkiye's foreign policy, noting that several conditions must be met for this to happen.
"First, to calm down or end wars and conflicts as much as possible," Fidan said.
"Second, to develop economic cooperation equally so that everyone benefits from prosperity. Third, to institutionalize relations and regional structures, to make them more sustainable. We work in our region with this perspective. You see this in our relations with the Turkic world and in the regional work we do with the Turkic world," he noted.
He added that Türkiye's efforts are always in this direction.
"We use Türkiye's regional power, reputation and leadership to bring stability to the region," Fidan said.
"Unfortunately, in previous periods, the basic perception of relations in our world was either competition, domination, or submission."
"Now we have moved away from this and have actually adopted a foreign policy that is more humane, more ethical, but beneficial to everyone, based on cooperation and stability. We continue on our way with this," the Turkish minister concluded.
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