From Nakhchivan to Ankara in 17 years: how a council of four countries became the Organization of Turkic States

Ahead of its 13th Summit in Ankara on 30 October, the Organization of Turkic States has released a short video looking back at its shared path: «From Nakhchivan to Today: Our Journey of Unity, Solidarity and Cooperation». The summit's theme is «Turkic Century: Unity in Language, Thought and Deed».

It all began in Nakhchivan on 3 October 2009. That day Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Türkiye signed the Nakhchivan Agreement and founded the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States, known as the Turkic Council. The date is now marked as Turkic States Cooperation Day, and the leaders held their first summit in Almaty in 2011.

The family grew over the years. Hungary became an observer in 2018 and Uzbekistan joined as a full member in 2019. At the 2021 Istanbul Summit the Council was renamed the Organization of Turkic States, Turkmenistan received observer status and the «Turkic World Vision 2040» was adopted. In 2022 in Samarkand the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus joined the observers. Today the Organization has five members and three observers.

At the Ankara summit Türkiye will take over the chairmanship from Azerbaijan. The Organization closes its post by saying that every summit has strengthened the bonds of brotherhood and cooperation and brought the Turkic world a step closer to a stronger, more united future. «Together we are stronger».