In the Ankara Declaration signed following the summit hosted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex, it was emphasised that OTS Presidents are in solidarity with Türkiye in the recovery and reconstruction efforts in the aftermath of the earthquakes.
The declaration was signed by President Erdoğan, as well as President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan and OTS Term Chairperson and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
In the declaration conveying condolences to the Turkish people due to two devastating earthquakes that took the lives of thousands of people, left thousands more injured and caused heavy destruction in the south-eastern region of Türkiye on February 6, gratitude was expressed to the people of Member and Observer States as well as other countries and international organisations/platforms for immediately extending a helping hand to those areas heavily affected by the earthquakes.
In the declaration commending the quick response of the Member and Observer States of the OTS and rapid deployment of their search and rescue teams following the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye, the announcement of a Flash Appeal for Türkiye by the United Nations and an International Donors' Conference to be co-organised by the European Union (EU) Commission and the Swedish Presidency of the EU Council to mobilise global support for Türkiye and Syria was welcomed.
In the declaration emphasising the importance of the rapid deployment of search and rescue teams as well as quick delivery of humanitarian relief in response to disasters, the necessity of bilateral and multilateral cooperation and coordination for preventing, responding, and overcoming natural disasters in the OTS region and around the world in line with the "Turkic World Vision 2040" was highlighted.
In the declaration welcoming the outcomes of the Ministerial Meeting of the OTS on Disaster and Emergency Management held at AFAD in Ankara on December 21, 2022, concerning the establishment of a Civil Protection Mechanism in line with paragraph 51 of the Declaration of the 8th Summit of the OTS in 2021, the decision to instruct the relevant Ministries to initiate cooperation on green technologies and smart cities as endorsed in the Declaration of the 8th Summit of the OTS was recalled.
"Activities that strengthen solidarity will be supported"
In the declaration praising the outstanding political, economic, and socio-cultural progress achieved by the Turkic States in realising the vision and goals outlined in the "Turkic World Vision 2040," the commitment to supporting activities of the OTS to promote the values and interests of the Turkic World was reaffirmed.
In the declaration stressing the ever-increasing central role of the OTS in deepening and strengthening cooperation and coordination of the Turkic World in the fields of trade, transport, investment, tourism, regional connectivity, and strategic human resources management, the commitment to explore all possibilities of furthering the cooperation in regional and international fora was made.
The Chairpersonship of the Republic of Uzbekistan was commended in the Ankara Declaration for the successful organisation of the historic Samarkand Summit, which marked yet another milestone in the transformation of the OTS and further integration of the Turkic World.
The Chairperson's determination to support the activities aimed at strengthening solidarity as well as ensuring peace, stability, security and prosperity of the peoples of Member and Observer States of the OTS was underscored.
In the declaration congratulating the Republic of Türkiye on the centenary of the founding of the Republic and the quincentenary of laying the foundation of the Turkish Foreign Service, the sincere wishes for the well-being and prosperity of the peoples of all the Member and Observer States on the occasion of Nowruz and holy Ramadan was stated.
In the declaration expressing concern due to the recent hate crimes committed against the sacred values of Muslims in some countries, the crucial importance of mutual respect between different cultures so as to maintain peaceful coexistence, dialogue and harmony among people with different beliefs and cultures was stressed in this context.
"Humanitarian relief will continue if needed"
In the declaration stating that the Heads of State of the OTS are in solidarity with the people and the Government of the Republic of Türkiye in the recovery and reconstruction efforts in the aftermath of the earthquakes, it was expressed that the devoted search and rescue operations carried out in the wake of the disaster by emergency response teams deployed by Member and Observer States as well as other countries and international organisations/platforms was applauded.
In the declaration extending gratitude to the teams that saved many lives through their ceaseless efforts, the following was noted:
"Member and Observer States of the OTS, expressed their readiness to strengthen cooperation among national medical rescue teams of the Member and Observer States of the OTS, and to engage in joint capacity building activities; reiterated their readiness to continue providing humanitarian relief for those who were affected by the earthquakes if/and when needed; encourage its members to take part in the International Donors’ Conference to be co-organised by the EU Commission and the Swedish Presidency of the EU Council which is planned on March 20, 2023 in Brussels; agreed to strengthen cooperation among national disaster management authorities of the OTS to address needs in an effective, coordinated, and timely manner in case of possible disasters and emergencies, and instructed in this regard the relevant authorities to conclude the Agreement on the Establishment of the Civil Protection Mechanism of the Organisation of Turkic States by the 10th Summit of the Organisation of Turkic States in Turkistan, the Republic of Kazakhstan."
"Hate crimes condemned"
In the declaration, it was noted that a post-disaster needs assessment would set a good reference point for the international community in continuing its support to Türkiye throughout the course of recovery and reconstruction of the affected regions.
In the declaration welcoming the aspiration/determination to base these efforts on the principles of Build Back Better and Energy Efficiency, the particular role of more resilient, sustainable and green development in the Turkic World in revitalising public goods was highlighted.
In the declaration, it was noted:
"The Heads of State of the OTS appreciated the active involvement of the Observer States in the activities of the OTS; and noted the participation of the TRNC at the Extraordinary Summit of the OTS; welcomed the signing of the Agreement Establishing the Turkic Investment Fund which aims to mobilise the economic potential of Member States of the OTS and strengthen the trade and economic cooperation between them."
In the declaration, the conviction of the successful conclusion of upcoming general and presidential elections in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Türkiye, as well as the referendum in Uzbekistan, was also reaffirmed.
In the declaration extending gratitude to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of the Republic of Türkiye for his “robust and lasting contributions to the unity and solidarity as well as security and prosperity of the Turkic World, firm leadership in strengthening the unified spirit of the Organisation of Turkic States,” success in the upcoming elections was wished for him.
In the declaration, a full commitment to the proclamation of a "World Turkic Language Day" by UNESCO was reaffirmed.
In the leaders' declaration, the recent hate crimes against the holy book Quran, that offended all Muslims and could pave the way for new racist, xenophobic and Islamophobic provocations and attacks in the future were condemned in the strongest terms.
In the declaration, the deadly armed attack against the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Tehran was condemned, and a call for a swift and comprehensive investigation was made to bring those responsible to justice.
In the declaration commending the significant achievements in the activities of the Secretariat of the OTS, the resolve to further strengthen the capacity of the Secretariat was reiterated.
In the declaration, instructing OTS Member States’ Ministries of Foreign Affairs and other relevant institutions to accelerate preparations for the upcoming 10th Summit of the OTS was agreed.
"Gratitude expressed to President Erdoğan"
In the declaration in which Kazakhstan reaffirmed its readiness to host the 10th Summit of the OTS in Turkistan, Republic of Kazakhstan, in October 2023, the Heads of State of the OTS expressed profound gratitude to President Erdoğan for steering the deliberations of the Ankara Extraordinary Summit of the OTS to a successful conclusion.
In the declaration in which appreciation of the warm hospitality of the Government and people of Türkiye was expressed, the Secretary General of the OTS was tasked to coordinate the mutual action and joint efforts stipulated in the Declaration.