AKIPRESS.COM - The Informal Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was held on 7 March 2026 in Istanbul, Republic of Türkiye.

The meeting was hosted by Hakan Fidan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, and brought together Jeyhun Bayramov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan; Jeenbek Kulubayev, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic; Bakhtiyor Saidov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Alibek Bakayev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan as well as Amb. Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States, and their respective delegations.

Prior to the Informal CFM Meeting, the delegations held a series of bilateral meetings, providing an opportunity for consultations on issues of mutual interest and further coordination within the framework of the Organization.

The meeting commenced with welcoming remarks by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan as the host and opening remarks by Jeyhun Bayramov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Organization of Turkic States. Both Ministers underlined the importance of maintaining close coordination among the Member States and advancing the priorities of the Organization.

The Ministers held extensive consultations on the regional and global developments, particularly the ongoing armed conflicts and hostilities recently hiked up in their surrounding area, which cause human suffering, loss of life and large-scale humanitarian challenges. They expressed their profound concern over the recent escalation of violence and its devastating consequences in the Middle East. They condemned all acts that endanger innocent lives and undermine stability in the region.

The Ministers also exchanged views on the the current state of cooperation within the OTS framework, focused on further strengthening political dialogue, enhancing institutional cooperation, and advancing joint initiatives aimed at deepening integration within the Turkic World. The Ministers signed the Regulation on Cooperation with External Parties in the OTS+ Format, an initiative aimed at promoting dialogue, cooperation and partnership in the regional and international arena and increasing the influence of the OTS in multilateral diplomacy.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Foreign Ministers adopted a Joint Statement on the Recent Developments in the Middle East.

The participants attended an iftar dinner hosted byHakan Fidan following the meeting, which provided an opportunity for further exchanges among the delegations.

The Informal Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers once again reaffirmed the strong spirit of solidarity, dialogue, and cooperation among the Turkic States, and contributed to enhanced coordination in addressing regional and international developments.