Addressing the Extraordinary Summit of the Organization of Turkic States, Erdoğan said: “As the Organization of Turkic States, we believe that we will assume a strategic role in ensuring energy security as well as in improving regional transport and supply chains.”

Noting that the summit is being held with the theme of “Disaster-Emergency Management and Humanitarian Assistance” following the February 6 earthquakes in Türkiye, Erdoğan extended his gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan for having called for the summit to be convened. The President also thanked the Current Chairman and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the participants for their efforts in organizing the summit, adding that he is also pleased since President Ersin Tatar of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), an observer member of the OTS, is among the participants.

“We will show once again that the Turkic world is one heart, one body”

Stressing that today’s summit will show once again at the highest level that the Turkic world is one heart, one body, Erdoğan stated: “On February 6, 11 provinces in our country’s south were shaken by a natural disaster, which is rare in the world in terms of magnitude and destructiveness. These earthquakes directly affected nearly 14 million citizens of ours while over 49 thousand people lost their lives and more than 115 thousand others were injured. I hereby offer my condolences for our own citizens who lost their lives as well as for our brothers and sisters from the member and observer states of the OTS who died in the quakes.”

“We will revive the earthquake zone with the support of the brotherly countries”

All the means and resources have been mobilized to heal the wounds of the quakes, stressed Erdoğan. “We are planning to build a total of 650 thousand houses, 319 thousand of them within a year, and to deliver them to their owners. We will inshallah revive the earthquake zone within a short span of time with the support of friendly and brotherly countries.”

Pointing out that the Turkic world was among the first to respond to Türkiye’s emergency call following the earthquakes, Erdoğan said: “You helped heal the wounds of our injured citizens with the field hospitals you set up. Our august nation will never forget your support. The United Nations issued an emergency call regarding Türkiye on February 16. The European Commission and the Swedish Council Presidency will host an International Donors' Conference on March 20. I have no doubts whatsoever that you will also lend support to these international aid efforts.”

“We should increase our multilateral cooperation in combatting disasters”

Drawing attention to the importance of strengthening multilateral cooperation in combatting disasters and their impacts, Erdoğan noted that various steps have been taken to that end within the OTS.

The OTS will have a stronger capability of planning and implementing the disaster processes with the establishment of the civil protection mechanism, stressed the President. “As is stated in the draft declaration, I believe that you will have given the necessary instructions for the signing of the agreement on the establishment of this mechanism by the time of the next meeting in Turkistan.”  

“We took important steps at the Samarkand summit to consolidate our trade and economic integration”

Highlighting the ongoing efforts within the scope of the “smart cities and green technologies” agreed upon at the 2021 Istanbul Summit in line with the resilient and sustainable development goals, Erdoğan said: “We took important steps at the Samarkand Summit to consolidate our trade and economic integration. The Turkic Investment Fund, the establishment agreement which is going to be signed today, is the most important of such steps. This fund will make it possible to provide support to SMEs, development projects, transport and logistic chains, infrastructure projects, agriculture and tourism investments, and renewable energy works. Our firms will have easier access to financing in all of these areas, and intra-regional trade will be incentivized. I offer my thanks to you for your valuable support and contributions in this process. It is also our desire that the agreements signed at the Samarkand Summit to increase trade and transport are put into practice rapidly. Supplying energy in a sustainable manner and lowering energy prices to reasonable levels is of great importance to our economies.”

Recalling that comprehensive projects in the areas of oil, natural gas, and electricity have been implemented with the Turkic world countries at the Caspian Basin so far, Erdoğan pointed out that the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline has been carrying Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan oil to the world markets uninterruptedly for the past 16 years.

The Turkic States have assumed a key position in Europe’s energy security thanks to the Southern Gas Corridor, the backbone of which is formed by TANAP, underlined Erdoğan. As the Organization of Turkic States, we believe that we will assume a strategic role in ensuring energy security as well as in improving regional transport and supply chains. The Middle Corridor, which we have implemented in the East-West trade through joint efforts, now offers a reliable alternative. The number of such strategic projects will increase in the period ahead.”

“Our family council has grown stronger with the TRNC”

Noting that today’s summit takes place with the motto, “our unity is our strength,” Erdoğan stated: “Our family council has grown stronger as the TRNC has joined us. As the OTS, we have materialized our strong and resolute support to the Turkish Cypriot people. We will continue our efforts for the recognition of the TRNC and the elimination of the unjust restrictions faced by our Turkish Cypriot brothers and sisters.”

Highlighting Türkiye’s ongoing diplomatic initiatives for an immediate cessation of the Ukraine war through a just and lasting peace since the beginning, Erdoğan said: “I am in regular contact with President Putin of Russia and President Zelenskyy of Ukraine. The Black Sea grain deal and the comprehensive prisoner exchange, which we mediated, show that the parties can meet on common ground. We will continue our efforts to bring the parties back to the negotiating table until the very end.” (ILKHA)