President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has announced that the next summit of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) is planned to take place in Ankara by the end of this year, as Türkiye continues to advance regional cooperation and international initiatives.
Speaking at an informal OTS summit in Turkestan, Erdoğan said Ankara is already preparing to host the gathering, while also pursuing broader diplomatic and technological agendas.
The Turkish leader highlighted that Türkiye is actively preparing for the COP31 climate conference, placing particular emphasis on leveraging artificial intelligence and digital technologies to address climate-related challenges.
He also underscored an ongoing large-scale transformation of the country’s agricultural sector, aimed at maximising the use of technological innovation to enhance sustainability and efficiency.
As part of Türkiye’s international engagement, Erdoğan announced that Ankara has formally nominated former Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker as a candidate for Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The election for the post is scheduled for July 2027.
“We expect your valuable support for Dr. Mehdi Eker as the single candidate from all Turkic states for this important post,” Erdoğan said, appealing to fellow member states for unified backing.
In his remarks, Erdoğan also expressed appreciation to Azerbaijan, which currently chairs the Organisation of Turkic States, for its role in strengthening unity among member countries. He further thanked President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for hosting the summit in Turkistan.
By Tamilla Hasanova
