Turkic states adopt 163-point Ankara Declaration as Türkiye takes chairmanship

Leaders of the Organization of Turkic States closed their Ankara summit with a 163-point declaration covering defense, cybersecurity, trade and transport, as Türkiye took over the bloc's rotating chairmanship.

Leaders of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) adopted a 163-point Ankara Declaration as the bloc's 13th summit concluded in the Turkish capital on Oct. 30, with Türkiye taking over the rotating chairmanship from Azerbaijan.

The declaration calls for exploring the establishment of an OTS Defense Industry College hosted by Türkiye and for speeding up consultations on an OTS Cybersecurity Council, as well as the signing of a memorandum on cybersecurity cooperation.

Leaders sign the Ankara Declaration and other summit documents

Leaders backed the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor, full use of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, the Zangezur Corridor and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, and underlined the strategic importance of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and the Southern Gas Corridor.

Among measures aimed at citizens, member states will explore dedicated passenger lanes for each other's nationals at international airports and consult on treating footballers from member countries as non-foreign players in their leagues. A proposed "Turkic Cup" for national teams will also be considered.

On Gaza, the declaration called for the full implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2803 and a two-state solution. It also supported efforts to secure the equal rights of Turkish Cypriots and called for a negotiated, mutually acceptable settlement in Cyprus.

Leaders pose for the family photo at the 13th OTS summit

The 14th summit will be held in Uzbekistan in 2027, while Kyrgyzstan will host an informal summit the same year. Mirvokhid Azimov takes over as secretary-general from Kubanychbek Omuraliev, who served from 2022 to 2026.