Baku, May 23, AZERTAC

On May 23, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received a delegation of participants of the second meeting of the Ministers of Internal Affairs of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).

The delegation included Yerzhan Sadenov, Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Ulan Niyazbekov, Minister of Internal Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic; Ali Yerlikaya, Minister of Interior of the Republic of Türkiye; Aziz Tashpulatov, Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Dursun Oğuz, Minister of Internal Affairs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus; Bence Rétvári, Deputy Minister of Interior of Hungary; and Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States.

Addressing the meeting, President Ilham Aliyev said:

- The second meeting of the Ministers of Internal Affairs of the Organization of Turkic States is being held in Azerbaijan. This is a very pleasing development. I am confident that such meetings will continue.

As you know, the Informal Summit of the Organization of Turkic States was held in Hungary two days ago. I must note that the initiative to hold such events and meetings came from the Azerbaijani side. The first Informal Summit took place last year in Azerbaijan, in Karabakh, in the city of Shusha. The heads of state and government decided that such informal meetings should be held regularly.

Our official Summit meetings take place annually. However, we considered that meeting only once a year in this format is insufficient. I must state that this year, the official Summit will be held in Azerbaijan. Serious preparations are underway for this meeting, and I am confident that important decisions will be made during the Summit.

The shared interests of the member and observer countries of the Organization are clear. We are not only friends, strategic partners, and allies — most importantly, we are brotherly nations, and this principle lies at the core of the Organization. I believe that in the coming years, our Organization can rise to even greater heights. All the necessary conditions are in place for this. A positive dynamic of development is being observed in our countries. Internal stability is ensured in the member states. We cover a vast geographical area. Some member countries of the Organization possess rich natural resources. Our transport projects connect our countries and even extend across a larger geography. The transport corridors passing through our countries link Europe with Asia. In short, we have immense potential in the economic sphere. When combined with our positive demographic trends, the picture becomes even more encouraging.

In our countries, populations are increasing. In the case of Azerbaijan, when our country restored its state independence in 1991, the population was approximately 7 million; now it exceeds 10 million. A similar trend is observed in all member countries. Our populations are young, dynamic, and deeply connected to their historical roots. Therefore, within the framework of the Organization, along with issues of economy, transport, and energy, we must also extensively discuss our common roots and shared history.

Throughout history, there have been different periods. For reasons beyond our control, we were once separated from one another. However, the will of the member states and their peoples brought us together again. Of course, the historic Nakhchivan Summit holds a special place in the formation and development of the Organization. We are very delighted that this historic decision was made precisely in Nakhchivan, an ancient city of Azerbaijan.

Regarding the joint activities of the internal affairs bodies, there is certainly a great need for cooperation. Because, as I mentioned, even though there is internal stability in our countries, there are threats, there are challenges, there are and will be attempts of external interference. No one is immune from this. Therefore, safeguarding public order — the main task of the internal affairs bodies — is an important factor in ensuring internal stability in each of our countries. The coming together of the internal affairs bodies of the member states, the regular holding of meetings, and the exchange of views, experience, and information — all of this carries great importance.

Naturally, our main goal is to further strengthen the Organization. I am fully confident that if all member and observer countries demonstrate a strong, united will, our Organization can become one of the leading international organizations in the world. We know the existing international organizations well. We are members of some, and we cooperate with others in different formats. And we can clearly see the advantages of the Organization of Turkic States here in Azerbaijan. Once again, the main advantage is that we are united by historical roots, ethnic ties, moral values, and, of course, as I mentioned, our economic, industrial, and other potentials. We have brought all of this together under one roof, structured the Organization, and active work is underway in various areas. I believe the main issue now is to become a voice on the international agenda — not only within the geography of the Organization and its surroundings, but also to transform into one of the world’s leading political organizations on the global stage. I repeat — all the necessary conditions for this are in place. If they were not, I would not be speaking about it.

I once again welcome you. Welcome to Azerbaijan. I wish you success. I extend my respect to the peoples of the countries you represent and wish you fruitful work and excellent results.

X X X

Then, Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States, said:

- First of all, I would like to thank you for hosting us. As you noted, this is the second meeting of our interior ministers. Last year, the first meeting was held in Kyrgyzstan. Our esteemed ministers do not simply hold meetings; as you pointed out, they focus heavily on the content. A communiqué has also been prepared today. Following this meeting, further sessions will be held where a communiqué outlining the main areas of cooperation among the Ministers of Internal Affairs will be adopted. These areas include the fight against banditry, terrorism, crime, and all other issues under the ministers' leadership.

Two days ago, our Informal Summit—which you originally initiated—was held, and despite its name, it was quite formal in terms of content. The work of our law enforcement agencies was also discussed there. As you mentioned, last year for the first time, a meeting of our higher judicial authorities took place in Shusha. Recently, two weeks ago, the Presidents of the Supreme Courts met again in Antalya and adopted their charter, specifying their directions of activity. Platforms for Prosecutors General and notary bodies have already been created, and the Justice Ministers met in Astana last year.

In summary, the entire law enforcement sector has begun a process of institutionalization, and the first steps have been taken. You briefly mentioned this in your inaugural speech in Parliament, and we fully support it. Now, as you observed, our organization can become even stronger. We truly are a unique international organization. The Nakhchivan Agreement adopted 15 years ago states that it is our historical roots, culture, language, and religion that unite us. Therefore, there is no other organization like ours. Our shared task is to strengthen it through the established platforms.