Turkic Council seeks to get observer status at UN
The Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States (Turkic Council) hopes to be granted the observer status at the United Nations, Council’s Secretary General Ramil Hasanov announced about this at the news conference, devoted to the activities of the organization on August 23.
The Turkic Council established in 2009 serves as an international intergovernmental organization, with the overarching aim of promoting comprehensive cooperation among Turkic-speaking countries. Its four founding member is Azerbaijan.
Hasanov noted that the Council has been making requests to gain this status for three years. “However, it has not been possible so far because of a few countries objecting to our membership. We hope that this issue will be solved at the 6th Committee this October,” he said.
The secretary general added that the Turkic Council will organize an unofficial meeting of foreign ministers within the UN.
“The foreign ministers of four countries have already confirmed willingness to participate. This meeting will take place on September 2025,” he said.
Responding to a question about the expansion of the organization, Hasanov said that although countries such as Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are not members of the organization, they participate in the activities of the Turkic Council and “we are trying to involve them in our organization.”
“Even though they are not members, we invite Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and sometimes Hungary to join our events. It’s left to countries to make a decision about membership. Two flag posts outside our office in Istanbul are empty. That is a message to Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Their places are empty. They are welcome to become members whenever they like,” Hasanov noted.
He further mentioned that the 6th Summit of the Turkic Council will be held in Bishkek this November and the next summit will be held in 2017 in Azerbaijan.
As for the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Hasanov said the Turkic Council member countries back Azerbaijan’s stance on Nagorno-Karabakh, adding that the international law and the UN resolutions consider these territories as the occupied lands.
“The conflict has to be settled on the basis of the provisions mentioned in the Helsinki Final Act. Azerbaijan relies on the principles of international law. We wish our lands are returned,” he said.
Speaking on creation of the general television of the Turkic-speaking countries, Hasanov informed that an International Turkish News Channel will be established. He noted that transmissions of television will be broadcast in six languages. The central office of TV channel can be based in Azerbaijan, Turkey or Kazakhstan.
Hasanov went on saying that the work on creation of a common history textbook of the Turkic world, covering the period up to the 15th century, has come to an end. Currently, the book is in the editing stage.
"If the textbook will be approved at a meeting of Education Ministers of the member states in October, it will be presented to the presidents of member countries in the short term, and will then be discussed. This book will be used as a textbook in the Turkic-speaking countries,” Hasanov said.
The day before the press-conference, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met Hasanov. The sides expressed satisfaction with the development of cooperation between the Turkic Council and Azerbaijan and exchanged views on a number of questions.
Noting that this November Bishkek will host the 6th Summit of the Organization, Hasanov said that questions of cooperation in political, economic, social, humanitarian and other spheres would become primary subjects of discussions of the member states.
At the meeting the question of carrying out informal meeting of the Foreign Ministers of member states within the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly was also discussed.
Hasanov informed the participants on the organization of youth festival jointly by the Turkic Council together with the Azerbaijan Youth and Sport Ministry on September 27 in the country’s Ganja city in connection with election of Ganja as the European Youth Capital-2016.
Noting the persistent support rendered by Azerbaijan to the activities of Turkic Council, Mammadyarov emphasized that Azerbaijan within the organization will continue to contribute development of practical and field cooperation.
At the meeting, the questions of obtaining by Turkic Council of the observer status at the UN, expansion of contacts with other international organizations and fight against terrorism were also in the focus.