Looking at the history of the institutionalization of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), it is noticeable that autumn has a special place among the seasons. Indeed, the organization's first meeting, which was first named the Summit of Heads of State of Turkic-speaking Countries, was held in Ankara on Oct. 30, 1992. The late Turkish President Turgut Özal’s statement "Our cooperation is not to the detriment of anyone and will not be to the detriment of anyone in the future" was one of the important statements that shed light on the development of the organization after the first meeting.

The fact that most of the subsequent summits were held in October-November supports the judgment in the introductory sentence. As a matter of fact, the 9th summit, which was an important turning point in the history of the organization and the evolution of the Summit of Heads of State of Turkic Speaking Countries into the Turkic Council, was also held from Oct. 2-3, 2009. With this summit held in Nakhchivan, a bridge to the Turkic world in terms of geostrategic location, the organization decided to continue its journey under the name of the Turkic Council.

With a summit held in November, the organization gained its current final identity, the Organisation of Turkic States. On Nov. 12, 2021, the declaration signed at the end of this summit held in Istanbul underlined "the importance of holding consultations on regional and international issues affecting the interests of the Turkic world in order to develop a consolidated position among the member states." In particular, the return of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, which was strongly supported by Türkiye, contributed to the consolidation of the OTS’s position on a common foreign policy agenda for the member states.

The approach of the Turkish state mind on this issue at the first meeting of the OTS was mentioned above. However, the organization’s current functional structure is undoubtedly the result of the political will of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. President Erdoğan, whose actions and discourses always display his attitude toward the Turkic republics on the axis of friendship and brotherhood, does not fail to transform this approach into the driving force of Turkish foreign policy. In this context, the OTS’s achievement of an effective organizational structure constitutes one of the cornerstones of the vision of "placing Turkish foreign policy on an institutional basis," which is frequently referred to by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

Steps toward unification

Dozens of developments in the past years are the projections of the vision put forward by the current political will of Türkiye for the OTS. Among these, there are activities that need to be emphasized in particular. The "Common Turkic Alphabet" announced within the framework of the 3rd Meeting of the Turkic World Common Alphabet Commission in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on Sept. 9-11 is one of the important initiatives in this context. This development, which was described as a "historic step" by President Erdoğan, is one of the initiatives documenting that the common understanding in the Turkic world has been formalized.

Again in one of the November months, the participation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) as an observer member in the 9th OTS Summit held in Samarkand on Nov. 11, 2022, was one of the operational reflections of the will to form a common foreign policy among the OTS members.

In addition, the fact that Hungary has started to take part in the summits as an observer member since 2018 shows that the OTS includes the "heart geography of Turks" beyond its land borders.

The establishment of the Turkic Investment Fund in the following year within the framework of the principle of "equal capital contribution and equal voting rights" demonstrated the willingness of the OTS to evolve into an example of unity and solidarity in economic terms.

The intensive support of the political will of the member states for their efforts to open the "TuranSEZ" Special Economic Zone named "Turan" and the declaration of will to open the Zangezur Corridor after the resolution of the Karabakh Issue are some of the special agendas that the OTS continues to pursue.

From promoting the recognition of the TRNC and its accession to the organization to the common alphabet, the achievement of a consensus in political, economic and cultural fields represents the OTS’ determination to become an international actor today.

In the summer of this year, the Informal Summit of Heads of States of OTS took place in Shusha, in the heart of the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, which sent important messages to the international community in terms of the capacity of the organization. The Karabakh Declaration signed on the margins of this summit is the culmination of the common will of the OTS in terms of building a sustainable future.

This November's agenda

This is another month of November full of special and intense agendas for OTS. At the 11th Summit of the OTS held on Nov. 6, 2024, in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, the heads of the member states reaffirmed their will to develop and enrich cooperation in the Turkic world.

The fact that President Erdoğan, who visited Bishkek within the scope of the summit, was awarded the "Order of Manas," the highest state medal of Kyrgyzstan, is also one of the obvious reflections of Türkiye’s prestige in the OTS.

Within the agreement reached at the summit, crucial decisions such as the Charter of the Turkic World, the Regulation on Permanent Representatives of the OTS, and the adoption of the OTS Flag, which will reinforce the institutionalization of the OTS, give an important idea about the future of the organization.

In this sense, the Organisation of Turkic States, which is taking firm steps toward becoming a global actor, also reveals the accuracy of Ankara’s vision of the "The Century of Türkiye" under the leadership of President Erdoğan. In the acquis of the OTS for more than 22 years, especially when the summits in November, which are full of positive agendas, are taken into consideration, the following fact revives in the minds of the Turkic world: "A summit in November is something else."