A conference titled "From the Shusha Declaration to the Organization of Turkic States" was held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Guests from Türkiye, Uzbekistan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus attended the event on October 3, along with representatives of the embassies of Turkic states in Azerbaijan, lawmakers, civil society organization executives, media representatives, intellectuals and academics.
The conference, organized by the Central Asia and South Caucasus Freedom of Expression Network, began with a minute of silence for statesmen and heroes who lost their lives for their homeland. The Azerbaijani National Anthem was also performed during the program.
Emphasis on cooperation in the Turkic world
Nadir Azeri, president of the network, said holding the conference on October 3 carried special significance. Azeri recalled that the date is commemorated as Turkic States Cooperation Day.
Azeri also recalled Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's statement, "Karabakh is Azerbaijan," made at one of the meetings in 2019. He highlighted the victory achieved by the Azerbaijani army in 2020, the heroism of those who lost their lives and the results achieved during the Second Karabakh War.
Azer Allahveranov, secretary-general of the platform of civil society organizations from member states of the Organization of Turkic States and a member of the Azerbaijani Parliament, emphasized the importance of developing relations among civil society organizations in the Turkic world. Ufuk Türganer, the representative of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in Azerbaijan, also said that similar platforms contribute to developing relations across the Turkic world.
Proposal for joint media and cultural programs
Meryem Özkurtoğlu, director of the Radio and Television Corporation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, said that common history, culture and language are the fundamental elements bringing the Turkic world together.
Özkurtoğlu said the Shusha Declaration had elevated the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Türkiye to a higher level, while the Organization of Turkic States had strengthened the institutional foundations of cooperation in the Turkic world. She noted that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus's observer status in the organization was important for increasing the visibility of Turkish Cypriots' institutional-level relations with the Turkic world.
Calling for expanded cooperation in the media sector, Özkurtoğlu proposed producing joint documentaries and cultural programs among the public broadcasters of Azerbaijan, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and other Turkic states. She also called for exchanges of journalists and producers, digital projects and live broadcasts, and the sharing of archival materials.
Özkurtoğlu said that establishing a media cooperation network in the Turkic world in the long term could help ensure that these efforts are carried out more systematically.
Security cooperation and competition awards
Azerbaijani lawmaker Elchin Mirzabayli underscored the importance of the Organization of Turkic States as a developing platform for cooperation and said relations among Turkic states should be expanded in various fields.
General Yücel Karauz, Türkiye's former military attaché in Azerbaijan, also addressed the importance of cooperation in defense and military affairs for the future unity of the Turkic world. Karauz said cooperation in security and defense should be developed.
At the end of the conference, finalists and outstanding participants in the art competition themed "From the Shusha Declaration to the Organization of Turkic States" received awards. Awards were presented to 21 finalists selected from works reflecting the common values of the Turkic world and the idea of Turan.
