07.10.25
Under the chairmanship of His Excellency Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the 12th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was held in the city of Gabala on October 7, 2025, under the theme “Regional Peace and Security.”
The Summit was attended by His Excellency Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan; His Excellency Sadyr Japarov, President of Kyrgyzstan; His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Türkiye; His Excellency Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of Uzbekistan; His Excellency Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary; His Excellency Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan and National Leader of the Turkmen People; His Excellency Ersin Tatar, President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus; and His Excellency Ambassador Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).
Prior to the Summit, the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OTS convened to finalize the documents to be signed by the Heads of State and to discuss key issues on the Organization’s agenda. Following the historic Joint Statement signed between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Washington on August 8, 2025, the leaders welcomed this development as a significant step towards peace, stability, and prosperity in the South Caucasus and beyond.
The Heads of State once again reaffirmed their shared aspirations to build a peaceful, secure, and prosperous Turkic World. They emphasized the importance of deepening cooperation within the Organization in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, security, economy, and international relations.
Key Decisions Adopted at the Gabala Summit:
Documents signed by the Heads of State:
- The Declaration of the 12th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (Gabala Declaration);
- Decision on the establishment of the “OTS+” format as a flexible framework for cooperation with external partners in areas of mutual interest;
- Decision on the development and strengthening of the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY).
The accession of Turkmenistan as an observer to the Turkic Academy and the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation was regarded as an important step in strengthening the institutional structure of Turkic cooperation. The leaders also underlined the need to further enhance the role of Turkic cooperation organizations.
In his address, the Secretary General of the OTS, Ambassador Kubanychbek Omuraliev, noted that the Organization currently coordinates multilateral cooperation in more than 40 areas, including economy, security, education, innovation, and space. He emphasized that this growing dynamic demonstrates the increasing unity among member states and the rising international recognition of the Organization.
At the conclusion of the Summit, the OTS Chairmanship was transferred from Kyrgyzstan to Azerbaijan. The Heads of State expressed their gratitude for the successful period of Kyrgyz Chairmanship, characterized by over 120 events across various fields, and extended best wishes for a fruitful and successful tenure to the new Azerbaijani Chairmanship.
The leaders agreed to hold the next Summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Türkiye in the autumn of 2026 and an informal Summit in Kazakhstan in 2026. Within the framework of the Summit, the leaders of member and observer states, along with the Secretary General of the Organization, participated online in the foundation-laying ceremony of a mosque to be built by Turkmenistan in the city of Füzuli.
Following the Summit, His Excellency Jeyhun Bayramov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, and His Excellency Ambassador Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Secretary General of the OTS, briefed journalists on the decisions and key outcomes of the Gabala Summit.
