Newsletters
Interior ministers from the Organization of Turkic States convened in Azerbaijan's capital Friday to strengthen regional security partnerships and coordinate counterterrorism efforts across the Turkic world.
The second official meeting of OTS interior ministers, hosted by Azerbaijani Interior Minister Vilayat Eyvazov, brought together security officials from Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Hungary, and OTS Secretary General Ambassador Kubanychbek Omuraliev.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya outlined mounting global security challenges facing the region, citing ongoing conflicts and economic instability as sources of concern for member states.
"We are closely monitoring with concern the Russia-Ukraine war, Israel's oppression in Palestine, global energy and food crises, the Pakistan-India conflict, and the trajectory of a trade war threatening global stability," Yerlikaya said during the summit.
The Turkish minister called for deeper integration among OTS members and observers to address what he characterized as growing global disorder.
"Regardless of member or observer status, we must further strengthen our security cooperation, especially as the world order continues to drift toward chaos," Yerlikaya said.
Counterterrorism emerged as a central focus of discussions, with ministers reaffirming their commitment to combat terrorist organizations. Yerlikaya specifically identified FETO and ISIS as ongoing threats requiring coordinated responses.
"We confirmed our common will to fight against terrorist organizations such as FETO and ISIS (Daesh). We are moving confidently toward our goal of a terror-free Türkiye," he said.
The summit produced a proposal for establishing a new "Crime-Fighting Council" designed to facilitate cooperation among law enforcement agencies across OTS member and observer states.
"This council must be accessible to the interior ministries and law enforcement agencies of all our brother countries," Yerlikaya said, adding that a draft proposal would be circulated to participating nations.
The initiative represents part of broader efforts to institutionalize security cooperation throughout the Turkic world as member states seek to address shared challenges through coordinated approaches.
The Organization of Turkic States, established to promote cooperation among Turkic-speaking nations, has increasingly focused on security matters as regional tensions have escalated across multiple theaters.
1 min read
