Ankara:Ankara is preparing to host the 13th Organization of Turkic States (OTS) Summit on Thursday and Friday, focusing on assessing progress and cooperation in various sectors including trade, investment, energy, digital infrastructure, and space.
According to Anadolu Agency – English, the event, themed 'Turkic Century Unity in Language, Thought, and Deed,' will be hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The summit aims to enhance cooperation among member states across multiple areas such as transportation, digital technologies, agriculture, and space.
Türkiye will take over the OTS' rotating presidency from Azerbaijan, and leaders at the summit are expected to adopt the Ankara Declaration along with other agreements to further institutional cooperation. A significant focus will be on digital cooperation, with Türkiye recently becoming the third country after Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan to ratify a digital economy partnership agreement aimed at facilitating e-commerce and cross-border data activities.
Technical collaboration among OTS member states is expanding to include new areas like a joint digital agriculture data platform and a joint CubeSat project coordinated through a framework agreement signed at the 77th International Astronautical Congress. Ahead of the summit, the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges will host the Turkic World Business and Investment Forum, emphasizing the Middle Corridor, border logistics, and customs.
Turkmenistan's President Serdar Berdimuhamedow is scheduled to meet with the Turkish business community on Friday. Türkiye's diplomatic and economic ties with other OTS member states are strengthening, with an annual trade volume reaching $17 billion last year, consisting of $9.6 billion in exports and $7.3 billion in imports.
Türkiye has maintained a net exporter status with member states, showing a consistent growth in exports over the years. In 2025, Kazakhstan became Türkiye's largest export destination at $3.2 billion, followed by Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. From January to August 2026, Türkiye's exports to OTS member states amounted to $6.1 billion against $5.4 billion in imports.
The OTS is expanding its reach with observers such as Turkmenistan, Hungary, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and the Economic Cooperation Organization.