Let's sit and talk with an 'o' accent

On October 30, Ankara will host the main meeting within the framework of the 13th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). This year, the meeting of the leaders of the countries will take place under the motto "Turkic Century: Unity in Language, Thought, and Action." On October 29, a meeting of the Organization's Council of Foreign Ministers was already held under the chairmanship of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

On the eve of the main event of the summit, the heads of the OTS member and observer states held their first bilateral meetings in the Turkish capital. On October 28, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was the first to arrive in Ankara on an official visit, where he was personally met at the airport by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. As reported by Akorda, during the talks, the leaders discussed energy, transport and logistics, artificial intelligence, agriculture, the defense industry, and humanitarian ties.

On October 29, talks were held between the Turkish leader and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, resulting in the signing of a number of bilateral documents aimed at expanding trade and economic cooperation and strengthening long-term partnership.

The absence of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the event in Ankara will be a sensation of sorts. This decision is linked to a heavy workload and the head of state's participation in previously scheduled events. In particular, on October 30, Aliyev intends to attend the final of the U-15 FIFA World Cup and Festival. For the first time in history, these competitions are taking place in Baku. On the president's instructions, Azerbaijan will be represented at the OTS summit by Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.

The main part of the program is scheduled for October 30; the events will be chaired by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The implementation of key economic and logistical projects within the framework of the "Turkic World Vision 2040" concept remains the main focus of the Turkic states' leaders. The heads of state will discuss strengthening transport routes, including the Middle Corridor, simplifying customs procedures, initiatives in the fields of energy and digital transformation, as well as the creation of the "OTS Digital Agricultural Data Platform."

Following the meeting of the leaders of the member countries, it is planned to approve the Ankara Declaration, as well as the OTS development strategy for 2027–2031. During the summit, the chairmanship of the organization will also be handed over: Turkey will assume it from Azerbaijan.