Turkic states prioritize defense cooperation at TURKPA meeting

Hulusi Akar, the Chairman of the National Defense Commission of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM), presided over the 1st Meeting of the National Defense Commission of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA) at the TBMM.

The 1st Meeting of the TURKPA National Defense Commission took place at the TBMM Honor Hall, with attendance from TBMM National Defense Commission Chairman Hulusi Akar, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, members of the National Defense Commission, and representatives of TURKPA member states. The meeting discussed cooperation in defense and security among Turkic states.

“One of the most important needs of our world today is to be strong in national defense,” said TBMM Speaker Numan Kurtulmus, who participated in the meeting via teleconference due to his official visit to Uzbekistan. He stated that unity, solidarity, and moving towards a common future within the Turkic world are opportunities for ensuring world peace.

“We see that there is a structure that can facilitate this cooperation both in terms of opportunities and capabilities and in terms of political will within the Turkic world today, and we are extremely pleased about this. We can have many joint initiatives in areas such as economy, trade, culture, heritage preservation, common language, and cultural and historical studies. Undoubtedly, being strong in national defense is one of our world’s most pressing needs today. In this context, it is crucial that our National Defense Commission Chairman has invited you to continue the presidency term, which we will hand over to the Azerbaijan Parliament Presidency next week, as we bring you together in Ankara. National defense is an extraordinary opportunity for countries to ensure their national independence and protect themselves from external threats. In this regard, Türkiye has been making superior efforts to eliminate defense-related risks it has faced for many years, including both terrorism and geopolitical risks. Those who impose an embargo on us, whether overtly or covertly, are surprised to see that the Turkish defense industry is one of the world’s leading defense industries today. The size of the defense industry, which was approximately ₺5.5 billion in 2002, has now reached ₺90 billion,” said Kurtulmus.

Emphasizing that the defense industry is a priority among Turkic states, TBMM National Defense Commission Chairman Hulusi Akar said, “Defense and security issues are important and prioritized for our strategic cooperation. We will act with this knowledge and awareness. Ancient friendship and brotherhood relationships among TURKPA countries form the solid foundation of our diplomatic and multidimensional relations. The friendly relations between our presidents and heads of state show that friendly relations take place at the highest level of inter-state relations. They contribute to the security of our strong and unshakable countries. Difficult times reveal friendship and brotherhood. Countries have dozens of friends. If you have 2–3 friends by your side during a crisis, you are very lucky. In this regard, our cooperation is very important,” he said.

Highlighting the importance of TURKPA for Turkic states, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, “First of all, your gathering on national defense from the perspective of parliamentary diplomacy is a very important element in our comprehensive foreign policy and diplomatic activities. In the Western world, parliamentary diplomacy is heavily utilized to exert pressure and advance positions. In recent times, under TURKPA, the Turkic world has been strategically progressing in various areas to share and gain ground, which is of significant strategic importance.”

Fidan also stressed the necessity for the Turkic world to integrate in defense and security, stating, “In line with the vision of our President within the framework of Türkiye’s Century, our foreign policy that we carry out is taking us to the Turkic era by contributing to peace, prosperity, and security not only in our country but also in the Turkic world. With the end of the Soviet occupation and the beginning of the 90s, young republics that gained independence have rapidly entered the state-building process thanks to the organizational tradition of the Turkic world and strengthened their capacities in all areas. Türkiye has supported its brothers during the consolidation process of the Turkic Republics. The relations and integration process among Turkic states should go beyond inter-state relations. It should be advanced by taking advantage of the opportunities history has presented to us.”

“High and critical technology areas have turned into the locomotive of the economy,” said Minister Fidan, emphasizing that the defense industry is crucial for consolidating unity and solidarity. Türkiye is always ready to provide all kinds of support to sister Turkic states in defense industry cooperation. Groundbreaking technologies such as artificial intelligence are becoming a game-changer in many areas, from the economy to security, entering our daily lives,” he added.

“When I took office as Foreign Minister, I set four main goals,” said Minister Fidan. “Establishing peace and security in the region, structuring our external relations on a structural basis, improving the welfare environment, and advancing our global goals. Our relations with Turkic states and the better integration of the Turkic world are at the center of our goals. In this regard, last month, we established the Directorate General for Central Asia and Turkic States within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This regulation is a concrete indicator of our commitment to the integration of the Turkic world and the priority we attribute to the Turkic world in our foreign policy vision,” he concluded.