Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan urged the member nations of the Organization of Turkic States to establish a unified digital infrastructure and step up collaborative cybersecurity strategies to navigate accelerating global geopolitical shifts.
The Informal Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) officially commenced in the historic city of Turkistan, Kazakhstan, hosted by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev under the central theme of “Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development.” Prior to the primary sessions, heads of state gathered at the Turkistan Congress Center for an official family photograph, which included Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Kazakh President Tokayev, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, and OTS Secretary General Kubanychbek Omuraliev. On the sidelines of the summit, President Erdoğan also held a private bilateral meeting with his Uzbek counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, to evaluate regional synchronization and diplomatic matters.
ERDOĞAN PROPOSES HISTORIC EXPANSION TO DIGITAL STRATEGY
Addressing the assembly, President Erdoğan emphasized the profound symbolic value of Turkistan as a living monument of shared cultural memory bridging the past to the future. Highlighting the presence of the Turkish Cypriot representation at the summit, Erdoğan expressed satisfaction in seeing Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) figures among the delegation and called for strengthening political and economic ties with the TRNC. Evoking Ismail Gaspirali’s famous 115-year-old motto of “unity in language, thought, and action,” Erdoğan asserted that it is time to add “unity in digital vision” to this core philosophy. He stated that this objective must be built upon qualified human resources, resilient digital infrastructures, and data-driven public administration models.
CYBER DEFENSE AND TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS AS GEOPOLITICAL PRIORITIES
Erdoğan warned that falling behind in the global digital transformation could directly jeopardize national sovereignty, emphasizing that artificial intelligence must be approached as an opportunity rather than a tool for foreign domination. He highlighted that cybersecurity has become as vital as land, air, and sea defenses in the modern world, vowing that Türkiye would prioritize establishing advanced cybersecurity coordination mechanisms during its upcoming term presidency. Furthermore, referencing the ongoing maritime disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, Erdoğan underscored that regional transportation projects—particularly the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor—will remain a top strategic priority for the Turkic world for many years to come.
