The Organization of Turkic States (OTS), headed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is set to host its 10th summit in Kazakhstan’s capital on Friday, with regional cooperation on the agenda against the backdrop of the Middle East crisis.
President Erdogan, who arrived in Astana on Thursday, discussed with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev the need to address the resolution of the conflict between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas during the summit.
Since Israel began bombing the Gaza Strip, the Turkish leader has advocated for a ceasefire to end the suffering of Palestinian civilians, while accusing Tel Aviv of war crimes.
Furthermore, the summit will be attended by leaders from the other OTS member states: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.
These nations, all with Muslim populations, have promoted a secular Islam since their independence from the Soviet Union and have harshly suppressed any emergence of Islamic fundamentalism.
At the summit’s conclusion, the leaders, who last met in March in Ankara following the earthquake that struck Turkey, will sign the Astana Declaration.
Additionally, the meeting will focus on economic, trade, transportation, customs cooperation, and joint projects.
In fact, according to the press, Erdogan is accompanied by a delegation that includes the ministers of Trade, Energy, and Natural Resources.
They will also exchange views on ongoing processes in the region, which includes Central Asia, home to vast energy resources.
Turkmenistan, Hungary and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are observer countries of the OTS.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has confirmed his attendance in Astana, where he met with Tokayev on Thursday. EFE