Organization of Turkic States Summit: Ornate Slogans and the Reality on the Ground

News:

The 13th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), held in Ankara under the theme "The Turkic Century: Unity in Language, Thought and Deed," was the setting for significant decisions. At this critical gathering hosted by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the adoption of the 163-article Ankara Declaration took cooperation across the Turkic world to a new level in numerous strategic fields, from the defense industry and energy to transportation and digital integration. (Yeni Akit Newspaper, October 30, 2026)

Comment:

This year's summit of the Organization of Turkic States was once again held in Ankara, hosted by Türkiye, under the shadow of ornate, slogan-filled themes that obscure the organization's true mission. Several aspects make this summit more noteworthy than those held in previous years:

• First: The political crisis between the Aliyev regime and the AK Party government before the summit, caused by the headscarf ban that came into force in Azerbaijan.

• Second: The scheduling of the summit to coincide with October 29, the anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Türkiye, and the festive promotion to Muslim peoples of the secular nation-state structure—which is incompatible with their beliefs—as though it were supposedly the unifying and sole ideal model.

• Third: The close attention paid to the summit by the United States, and President Trump's expression of support for the gathering through a message of shared vision during a telephone conversation with President Erdogan.

These three points offer important indications of the purpose for which the Organization of Turkic States was founded, its nature, and the mission it has undertaken.

Let us begin with the headscarf crisis between Türkiye and Azerbaijan. Through a decision taken on September 21, 2026, the Aliyev regime banned headscarves in schools, committing a grave act of oppression by forcing Muslim girls to choose between their right to education and Allah's command. The ban was met with great anger among the people of Azerbaijan; Muslim students and families stood up for the hijab and did not submit to Aliyev. Likewise, Muslims in Türkiye stood alongside their Azerbaijani sisters and organized protests against the ban, reminding Aliyev of Allah's punishment and President Erdogan—who came to power thanks to the suffering caused by headscarf restrictions—of his responsibility.

However, the AK Party government turned a deaf ear to the voices of Muslims and supported Aliyev—some officials directly and others indirectly—under the pretext of "not interfering in the internal affairs of other countries." What happened next is well known... Emboldened by Türkiye's passive stance, Aliyev and his associates grew even more brazen, issuing arrest warrants in absentia for some of the Muslims who protested the ban in Türkiye and declaring others persona non grata. As if that were not enough, they demanded that Türkiye take legal action against these people; ultimately, many Muslims were detained and later released.

Later, Azerbaijani state media broadcast disparaging reports claiming that they had made Türkiye bow to them. In the end, despite Türkiye having made so many concessions at the expense of its reputation, hurting the governing party's support base and Muslim peoples in the process, Aliyev persisted in his arrogance and did not attend the summit in Ankara. For Azerbaijan, drawing support from the United States and the Jewish presence, now wishes to cast off its role as the "little brother" and establish direct relations with its colonial masters. As for Türkiye, all that remains is disgrace and shame.

This situation has exposed the falsehood of the "two states, one nation" brotherhood, even though that notion is itself fundamentally false. It has once again revealed that, while Muslim peoples are brothers, their governments have different agendas and interests. It has also demonstrated that the theme "The Turkic Century: Unity in Language, Thought and Deed" is nothing more than an empty, deceptive slogan. After all, the member states of this organization, which operate culturally, politically, economically and militarily within the orbit of global colonial powers, have not even managed to agree on a common alphabet, let alone share the same ideas. Genuine unity among them is therefore out of the question. The failure of these states to recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the complete absence of any mention of East Turkestan under Chinese occupation and oppression, and, most importantly, their failure to present even a common response to the persecution surrounding the headscarf, a symbol of Muslim women, are just some of the realities that contradict the glorification of the Republic and the claim of "Unity in Deed."

Finally, let us address Trump's call to President Erdogan, in which he praised and expressed support for the OTS's vision and goals in connection with the summit. This congratulatory message was announced in the following words by Tom Barrack, the United States' special envoy for Syria and Iraq and its ambassador to Ankara, otherwise known as the "colonial governor":

"Today's telephone conversation between President Trump and President Erdogan is a continuation of the spirit of dialogue and cooperation that emerged among the leaders who gathered at the dinner held ahead of the 13th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States. The partnership among Turkic states is central to the vision shared by both leaders (Trump and Erdogan)."

This statement reveals the true face of the Organization of Turkic States, a structure whose foundations were laid in 1992 with American encouragement and which was institutionalized in Nakhchivan in 2009. The organization's real purposes are to weaken Russian influence in Central Asia, secure control over the Middle Corridor route at the heart of China's Belt and Road Initiative extending toward Europe, and serve as an instrument of soft power to exploit the region's underground resources, such as oil and natural gas. The quagmire in which Russia has become bogged down in Ukraine created this opportunity and brought the OTS to prominence.

There is therefore no point in hanging dreams on a rotten thread. What Türkiye must do is combine and develop the strength it draws from its people's faith with the Ottoman legacy, take the lead in establishing the Rightly Guided Caliphate (Khilafah Rashidah) in order to assume leadership of the Islamic ummah, and thus vest sovereignty in Allah's Sharia, freeing and protecting the headscarf and all the commandments of Islam. It must put an end to the domination of colonialist unbelievers, whether in Turkish or Arab lands or in other regions inhabited by Muslim peoples. It must establish unity of thought, principles and politics not on the basis of ethnicity, but on the basis of the creed of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and Islamic brotherhood.

This is the true unity that will free people from servitude to other human beings! Its slogan is: One Ummah, one state, one solution: the Caliphate!

[إِنَّ هَذِهِ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَأَنَا۬ رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُونِ]

“Indeed, this community of yours is one community, and I am your Lord, so worship Me.” [Al-Anbiya: 92]