The Solidarity Forum of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from member states of the Organization of Turkic States kicks off in Baku (24 November). At Azerbaijan’s initiative as the new rotating chair of the organisation, member-country NGOs are coming together for the first time.
The opening ceremony featured a video highlighting the historical ties, shared values, and close cooperation among the Turkic states, visually demonstrating the development path and future prospects of these relations, AZERTAC reports.
Hikmet Hajiyev, Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan, read out President Ilham Aliyev’s address to the Forum participants.
More than 500 civil society representatives from Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Hungary and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will participate in the forum. In terms of overall attendance, this is the largest event ever organised through the State Support Agency for Non-Governmental Organisations of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The forum will feature two panel discussions.
The first, titled “The Zangezur Corridor: A Bridge Connecting the Turkic World”, will explore preparations for the new regional situation following the opening of the Zangezur corridor, as well as civil society initiatives across the Turkic world in this direction.
The second panel, the “First Azerbaijan–Kazakhstan NGO Cooperation Forum”, follows previous bilateral exchanges: the Azerbaijan–Türkiye forum in 2022, the Azerbaijan–Uzbekistan forum in 2023, and the Uzbekistan–Azerbaijan forum in 2024.
As the next step in this series, Azerbaijani and Kazakh NGOs will hold bilateral discussions on experience-sharing, knowledge exchange and opportunities for deepening cooperation.
Similar events with Kyrgyzstan, Hungary, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Turkmenistan are planned in the period ahead.
All delegations have already arrived in Baku. On Sunday (23 November), they visited the Alley of Honour, the Martyrs' Alley, the Turkish Martyrs’ Memorial and the Victory Park, and viewed the Heydar Aliyev Centre.
Today’s discussions at the “Gulustan” Palace will conclude with a cultural and artistic programme.
Tomorrow, the forum will continue in the city of Nakhchivan. It is expected that the Platform of NGOs of the Organisation of Turkic States will be formally established in Nakhchivan.
On Tuesday in Nakhchivan, a panel discussion titled “Towards WUF13 – A First in the Turkic World” will also be held. It will highlight the scale and pace of Azerbaijan’s extensive reconstruction and rehabilitation work in Karabakh and East Zangezur, showcasing it as a model for post-conflict regions worldwide.
In addition, NGOs from Turkic states will be invited to take an active role in the 13th World Urban Forum, to be hosted by Azerbaijan in 2026.
On 26 November, participants of the Solidarity Forum of NGOs of the Organisation of Turkic States will visit several sites in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The forum is expected to conclude with the adoption of a joint declaration.
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