Ömuraliyev answered AA's questions in writing regarding the 3 October anniversary of the establishment of the Organization of Turkish States.
Stating that for the Turkish world, October 3 is not only the anniversary of its founding, but also a historical turning point where common history, language, culture and bonds of brotherhood turn into a common will for the future, Ömuraliyev reminded that the leaders of the Turkish states came together for the first time in 1992.
Ömuraliyev emphasized that the process of Summits of Heads of State of Turkic Speaking Countries, which started on that date, enabled the development of regular political dialogue, mutual trust and the will to act jointly between the countries for approximately 20 years.
Pointing out that the Nakhchivan Agreement signed in 2009 was not only a beginning, but also a result of the transformation of the strong political will that has developed since 1992 into institutional capacity, Ömuraliyev said:
"The Nakhchivan Agreement and the establishment of the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking Countries transformed the political dialogue that has formed over the years into a permanent international cooperation structure. At the 2021 Istanbul Summit, this institutionalization process reached a new stage with the Turkic Council taking the name of the Organization of Turkic States and the adoption of the Turkic World 2040 Vision."
Ömuraliyev underlined that the basis of the institutional capacity in TDT is the strong and determined political will that has been going on for more than 30 years, and stated that the will put forward by the TDT member countries has transformed political dialogue into institutional cooperation and institutional cooperation into more and more concrete projects and practices over time.
Emphasizing that TDT has gone far beyond its initial consultation and dialogue framework and has transformed into a comprehensive and increasingly application-oriented international organization, Ömuraliyev explained that TDT has 64 cooperation mechanisms ranging from political dialogue to economy and trade, from security to space technologies.
Ambassador Ömuraliyev said, "We have established 32 new cooperation mechanisms since 2023. This number is equal to the total of the mechanisms established until the end of 2022. This clearly reveals the speed and scope of the institutional development of our organization in recent years, but perhaps one of the most important developments that I have witnessed during my term of office cannot be expressed in numbers: This is the significant strengthening of the political coordination and the will to act together among the Turkish states." he commented.
Pointing out that political consultations have become more comprehensive and networks between institutions have strengthened, Ömuraliyev made the following evaluations:
"The Turkish world has begun to demonstrate an increasingly visible and stronger common voice in the international arena. Our developing relations with the United Nations system and other international organizations, our TDT+ format and public diplomacy initiatives such as Turkish Week are also parts of this transformation. The cultural and social dimension of this rapprochement is also extremely important for us. The historical progress made on the Common Turkish Alphabet has a special meaning in terms of transferring our common language and cultural heritage to future generations."
"October 3 is a day for us to look at both the past and the future"
Pointing out that October 3 is a day to look at both the past and the future, Ömuraliyev said, "This journey, which started with political will in 1992, gained an institutional structure in 2009, and today turned into a multidimensional international organization, is the most concrete expression of the determination of the Turkish states to build their common future together." shared his opinion.
Evaluating TDT's activities in 2026, Ömuraliyev said, "If I had to express 2026 in three words in terms of TDT, I would say implementation, transformation and institutional deepening. At this point, I would like to emphasize that Azerbaijan's successful term presidency gave a significant impetus to the agenda of our organization throughout 2026. Azerbaijan's term presidency stood out with an intense political and sectoral agenda, new initiatives and more effective operation of existing cooperation mechanisms. What our leaders put forward "It was a very productive period in which political will was reflected in different areas of cooperation and the decisions taken were put into practice." he said.
Ömuraliyev emphasized that an important stage has been reached in the economic field and underlined that connectivity continues to be at the center of strategic priorities.
Ömuraliyev stated that one of the most striking features of 2026 is that TDT will enter the fields of the future more strongly, and that cooperation in the field of health is becoming increasingly concrete.
Ömuraliyev said, "My basic assessment for 2026 is this: TDT is moving towards a structure where decisions are translated into implementation, agreements into projects and common vision into concrete results." made his assessment.
TDT's future goals
Regarding TDT's future goals, Ömuraliyev said:
"The main reference point of the coming period will be the Turkic World 2040 Vision. In my opinion, one of the key concepts of the coming phase is deeper integration. What I mean by this is to create a much stronger structure of economic, transportation, energy, digital and human connections, on the basis of respect for the sovereignty and national priorities of our states. Our goal is to move from cooperation to deeper integration, from agreements to implementation, from individual projects to an economic, digital and human area that is increasingly connected to each other."
Ömuraliyev pointed out that this year has a special and personal meaning for him, and emphasized that he is approaching the end of his duty as general secretary, which he started in 2022, and that it is a great honor and responsibility for him to serve the Turkish world in this position for 4 years.
Ambassador Ömuraliyev said, "I believe that it is extremely valuable to further strengthen the deep ties between the Turkish states, the will to act jointly and the capacity to produce results together in line with common goals. Because one of the main features that make our organization unique in the international arena is that our cooperation is based not only on common interests but also on deep-rooted bonds of brotherhood and solidarity nourished by common history, language and culture. The concept of 'We Are Stronger Together' is not just a slogan for us, but a concrete expression of these strong ties and the will to act together. "I believe that this culture of solidarity and joint action that TDT has achieved in its 17-year corporate history is one of the strongest foundations on which our organization will build its future." made his assessment.
