(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 17. The Turkic world
with a 250-million population has witnessed complex historical
processes over the past 200 years, trend reports.
The Turkic peoples, who were occupied at various times, entered
their heyday after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since the
beginning of the 2000s, the process of rapprochement of independent
Turkic states began.
As a result of the signing of the Nakhchivan Agreement on
October 3, 2009, the Organization of Turkic States was established
in Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan city. Since the organization's
establishment, it has taken important steps to expand both
political and economic ties between the Turkic states.
The most active period of the Organization of Turkic States fell
in 2022. In particular, the strengthening of Azerbaijan's influence
in the region in the post-war period had a positive impact on the
Organization's image.
During this period, on the initiative of Azerbaijan and Türkiye,
several important summits were organized, at which statements were
made that attracted the attention of the whole world, and unity was
demonstrated. The world once again witnessed the unity of the
Turkic states after the earthquake in Türkiye on February 6,
2023.
After the natural disaster, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan came to the aid of Türkiye and came up
with initiatives. After the earthquake, one of the most important
initiatives was put forward by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham
Aliyev.
The head of state proposed to hold an extraordinary summit of
the heads of state of the Organization of Turkic States. This
proposal was very effective from the point of view of the
discussion by the Turkic states of the elimination of the
consequences of the earthquake. Therefore, the initiative of the
President of Azerbaijan was unanimously accepted by the members of
the organization.
On March 16, an Extraordinary Summit of the Heads of State of
the Organization of Turkic States was held in Ankara.
Speaking at the meeting, President Ilham Aliyev spoke about the
assistance sent from Azerbaijan to the earthquake zone, mutual
assistance between the Turkic states, military, political and
economic cooperation, as well as the unity of the Turkic
peoples.
The President noted that the government and people of Azerbaijan
were mobilized to provide humanitarian aid to brotherly Türkiye the
moment the earthquake struck.
'940 people from Azerbaijan, including rescue workers, medical
personnel and volunteers, were dispatched to the earthquake region.
Azerbaijan topped the list of countries worldwide for the number of
rescuers sent to Türkiye. Thanks to the efforts of our rescue
workers and doctors, 53 people were saved from under the rubble.
Also, the bodies of 780 people were found. Our medical personnel
provided medical assistance to more than 3,000 people,' President
Ilham Aliyev said.
Of course, other countries that are members of the Organization
of Turkic States also sent aid to Türkiye. This aid is a vivid
example of the unity of the states that are members of the
Organization.
The unity demonstrated by the members of the Organization of
Turkic States for the restoration of the liberated territories of
Azerbaijan should also be emphasized.
Paying special attention to the contribution of the Member
States to the construction work, the President thanked the heads of
state for supporting the reconstruction and restoration of
Karabakh.
'We have started implementing the 'Great Return' program to
return former internally displaced persons to their homelands.
Turkish companies are actively involved in many infrastructure
projects as contractors in the reconstruction process. To date,
contracts worth more than 3 billion USD have been signed with
Turkish companies. My dear brother Recep Tayyip Erdogan has visited
the liberated lands three times. He has been to Shusha, Fuzuli,
Zangilan, and Jabrayil.
Taking this opportunity, I express my gratitude to the President
of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and the President of Kazakhstan,
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, for the school being built by Uzbekistan and
the creative center under construction by Kazakhstan in the
liberated Fuzuli city,' President Ilham Aliyev said.
In his speech, the head of state also touched upon the
transformation of Türkiye into a center of power against the
background of the unity of the Organization of Turkic States
members, and the union of Baku with Ankara.
“In June 2021, the Shusha Declaration between Türkiye and
Azerbaijan was signed in the city of Shusha, the crown jewel of
Karabakh, and our relations were officially raised to the level of
an alliance.
In the last 20 years, under the leadership of President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, Türkiye has covered a tremendous and glorious path,
Türkiye has gained a say in the whole world, and has become a
powerhouse. Today, Türkiye is reckoned with and respected all over
the globe,” President Ilham Aliyev noted.
Naturally, it's important for the entire Turkic world that the
member countries of the Organization of Turkic States strengthen
their regional and global influence.
As it's known, peoples with the Turkic gene inhabit territories
from Europe to India, from the Middle East to Siberia, that is, the
borders of the Turkic world are not limited to the territories of
the organization's member countries.
In his speech, drawing attention to this topic, the President
said that the Turkic world covers a wider geography.
“The Turkic world is not limited to the borders of Turkic
states. The Turkic world covers a more extensive geography. The
number of Azerbaijanis living in the world exceeds 50 million, and
only 10 million live in the independent Republic of Azerbaijan.
The decision of the Soviet government in November 1920 to
separate West Zangezur, our historical land, from Azerbaijan and
hand it over to Armenia led to the geographical separation of the
Turkic world,” the President noted.
This speech should be considered as an important message about
the future of the Turkic peoples. Because the attention of the
Turkic states to the construction of Karabakh, as well as
assistance to the victims of the earthquake in Türkiye, have formed
traditions of mutual assistance within the Organization of Turkic
States.
This tradition of unity and mutual assistance will continue to
manifest itself in terms of protecting the rights of the Turkic
peoples, who share the same language and culture but are not
independent. All this shows that the Turkic world is rapidly moving
towards becoming a global power.
Other Turkic states, led by Türkiye and Azerbaijan, also play an
important role in this process. Bringing relations between Baku and
Ankara to a high level in all areas serves as a roadmap for other
Turkic states and forms a new system of values.
For this reason, it can be assumed that in the near future, the
military-political cooperation of the Turkic states will reach a
high allied level, based on the principles reflected in the
documents of the Shusha Declaration. Meantime, Azerbaijan will act
as the main initiator of important ideas in the process of the rise
of the Turkic world.