CCTSS

COOPERATION COUNCIL OF TURKIC SPEAKING STATES
(CCTS)

The initiatives on the common Turkic integration were put forward by President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N. Nazarbayev. In 2006, during the Summit of Heads of Turkic speaking States in Antalya, he proposed the initiatives to establish several pan-Turkic organizations, in particular, a Standing body of the heads of Turkic speaking states, the Parliamentary assembly of Turkic speaking states and the Council of Elders. The proposals of the President of Kazakhstan were focused on the establishing of a permanent body of the heads of Turkic speaking states. In this way, these ideas were considered as an important step towards a genuine integration of the Turkic world.
The natural result of successful implementation of the initiatives of President N. Nazarbayev undoubtedly was the signing by Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey of the Agreement on the Establishment of the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States (CCTS) on 3 October 2009, in Nakhchivan (Azerbaijan). It has become the basis for establishing the Turkic world’s first ever interstate association of Turkic countries aimed at strengthening the unity of the Turkic peoples.
The establishment of the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States, as a full-fledged interstate association of these countries, has accomplished the years-long process of natural rapprochement of Turkic speaking peoples and legalized the association. This step has been not only a significant balancing factor for ensuring national security in these countries, but also an important aspect to diversify the ways of strengthening the sovereignty and principles of the multi-vector foreign policy of the Turkic speaking states.
The main objective of the CCTS is to fulfill great potential of good-neighborliness, unity and cooperation among countries and their peoples, as well as to promote joint activities in popularization of the great cultural and historical heritage of the Turkic peoples.
A number of meetings are scheduled within the framework of the CCTS on an annual basis, including the meetings of the Council of Heads of States, the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Committee of Senior Officials. The established CCTS Secretariat has already been in operation, as well as the permanent advisory body – the Council of Elders.
The CCTS Member States elected Halil Akinci, a career diplomat, former Ambassador of Turkey in Moscow, Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, as Secretary General of the Council. He started his work on 1 January 2011. Halil Akinci also heads another Secretariat, which is established in Istanbul. It is designed to monitor decisions adopted at various meetings, ensure high-quality preparation of summits, expert groups meetings, and turn proposals into documents that have common Turkic priorities.
It is notable that the first CCTS Summit, held on 21 October 2011, in Almaty, presented Kazakhstan as a unifying link in the Turkic world, and gave an additional impetus to ensure that the Turkic Council is able to fulfill enormous potential of good neighborliness, unity and cooperation among states and their peoples, as well as to intensify joint efforts to popularize great cultural and historical heritage of the Turkic peoples.
Economic dialogue within the CCTS is also currently being promoted. The meetings of CCTS economy ministers and the established Turkic Business Council designed are designed to strengthen multilateral economic relations between the Turkic speaking states. The potential of the Turkic Business Council is utilized for establishing mutually beneficial relations between the business community representatives from the countries of the association.
In addition, Astana was declared the Turkic world’s cultural capital of 2012. In February 2012, a formal ceremony of opening this year took place in the capital. An international festival of dance and song with the participation of representatives of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tatarstan (Russian Federation), Gagauzia (Moldova), etc. was held.
The institutionalization of the Turkic Academy is being continued within the CCTS. The Academy was opened during the visit of President of Turkey A. Gul to Kazakhstan on 24-25 May 2010. The agreement on the establishment of an international organization “Turkic Academy” with the participation of the CCTS Member States will be signed during the Second CCTS Summit to be held this year in Kyrgyzstan.
The second meeting of the Council of Elders of Turkic States with the participation of representatives of Kazakhstan, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan took place on 9-10 June 2012, in Istanbul. As part of the meeting the sides discussed the draft Regulations on the Board of Elders, and defined the Council’s prospects in 2012.