Russia should join Turkic ‘non-NATO’ alliance, Kazakhstan suggests
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has proposed that Russia join the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). He made the statement at the 13th OTS summit in Ankara.
According to Tokayev, inviting Russia to cooperate with the organization would be a reasonable and fair step that could also strengthen its international standing.
Read also: No ‘Turkic NATO’: Tokayev opposes a military alliance for the OTS.
«As a major power, Russia has maintained close ties with the Turkic world for centuries. Many Turkic peoples have historically lived within its territory. Furthermore, a significant number of words in the Russian language are of Turkic origin,» Tokayev noted.
In his address, Tokayev described the OTS as a unique organization that strengthens the unity of the Turkic world. He emphasized that respect for the sovereignty and national interests of its member states was a fundamental and inviolable principle.
Turkic-speaking alliance
The OTS, formerly known as the Turkic Council or the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States, is an intergovernmental organization comprising five member states: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Uzbekistan. Hungary, Turkmenistan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus hold observer status.
The organization’s primary goal is to promote comprehensive cooperation among Turkic peoples. The idea was first proposed by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2006. The organization was established on Oct. 3, 2009, in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan. Its Secretariat is headquartered in Istanbul.
