Erdogan to Visit Kazakhstan Before Turkic States Summit

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will make an official visit to Kazakhstan ahead of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) summit, regional sources report. Turkestan—the spiritual and historical center of the Turkic world in southern Kazakhstan—has been chosen as the venue for the leaders' meeting.

Erdogan's visit is regarded as part of diplomatic preparation for the forum and clearly demonstrates Kazakhstan's strategic importance within the framework of Turkic cooperation. In recent years, the republic has consistently strengthened its role as a key organizer of major multilateral meetings in the region.

The Organization of Turkic States unites countries that share a common cultural and linguistic heritage. At the summit, the leaders of member states plan to discuss pressing issues of economic, political, and humanitarian cooperation, as well as prospects for deepening integration within the organization.

Turkestan, which houses the magnificent mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—is increasingly being positioned by Kazakhstan as the symbolic capital of Turkic civilization.