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DiplomacyGuterres replies to Erhürman letter: “Actions blocking trust-building are discouraging”
DiplomacyKulubaev to hold talks with Marco Rubio in Samarkand on October 19
Environment & ClimateAshgabat proposes regional centre to combat desertification for Central Asia
PoliticsMirziyoyev to visit Samarkand on October 18–19
DiplomacyAnkara wants pragmatism on oil and principles from Baku
Defense & SecurityIranian parliament approves Mehrdad Akhlaqi Ketabchi as defense minister
DiplomacyRubio: There are countries we want to visit to strengthen relations
Defense & SecurityMass drone attack on St Petersburg leaves one dead and five injured
Turkic WorldKyrgyzstan's parliament to host 15th TURKPA plenary session
EnergyUzbekistan to expand deep processing of natural gas
DiplomacyAzerbaijan Could Take Asian Security Cooperation to a New Level, Expert Says
EconomyMirziyoyev urges China Energy to invest in Navoi region water supply
EnergyUzbekistan to publish first national energy master plan through 2050
EnergyKazakh oil overtakes Brent in price: experts explain the reasons
Transport & InfrastructureChina pledges quality implementation of railway project in Uzbekistan
Astana Mayor Zhenis Kasymbek said on his Instagram page that around 50 road facilities are under way this year, with another 15 kilometres of road to be built by the end of the year, Egemen.kz reports. The projects are meant to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion on busy routes.
On 17 October 2020, the Azerbaijani Army liberated the city of Fuzuli and several surrounding villages, ending more than 27 years of occupation that began on 23 August 1993. Deputy Sevil Mikayilova told Trend, as reported by Day.Az, that the priority now is turning the victory into sustainable development, rebuilding the destroyed city and enabling residents to resettle.
Uzbekistan and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) discussed cooperation in infrastructure, energy, water management and private sector development. The meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Jamshid Kuchkarov and IFC Regional Vice President for the Middle East and Central Asia Imad Fakhoury took place on 15 October 2026 in Bangkok, on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank annual meetings.
A new social town has been built in Kaiyndy-Bulak village of the Bayetov rural aiyl aimak in Ak-Talaa district, Naryn region, Kyrgyzstan, providing housing to 68 families. A Turmush correspondent reported that the town was built on a 1.5-hectare plot, funded by one of the charitable foundations. Its cost is 67 million 338 thousand soms.
According to the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of Azerbaijan, 827 families, or 3,153 people, have returned to Fuzuli city so far. The committee said residential complexes are being built in the city alongside the development of social infrastructure.
The Social Democracy Party (TDP) presented 50 candidates from six electoral districts at its Candidate Ranking Congress, held at Paradise Park in Lefkoşa (Nicosia). The congress, held under the slogan “İyi Gelecek Seninle Gelecek” (A Good Future Will Come With You), was attended by party leaders, organisation representatives and many party members.
History & Heritage
Gagauzia will mark October 19 as the Day of Remembrance of Famine Victims. The observance commemorates the famine genocide carried out by the Soviet regime against the Gagauz people in 1946-1947 and is dedicated to the victims of that period.
Uzbekistan is raising the quality of medical care for children and adolescents with oncological and hematological diseases under a national plan for 2025–2035. The plan focuses on improving sector management and sustainable financing.
Kazakhstan's Special Assignments Ambassador of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Murat Mukyshev, took part in a meeting of the National Coordinators Council of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states, held from 15 to 18 October in Dushanbe, according to Egemen.kz.
The Migration Committee of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Labor strongly advised citizens not to believe enticing advertisements promising quick employment outside the country. According to the agency, most such offers come from foreign intermediaries and dubious organizations that are not officially registered in Kazakhstan and operate outside the legal framework.
Uzbekistan and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) discussed expanding cooperation on road and railway networks, logistics corridors, energy infrastructure and water systems during a meeting in Bangkok on October 15. According to a statement from the Uzbekistan Ministry of Economy and Finance, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Jamshid Kuchkarov met AIIB President Zou Jiayi on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group.
Mass electricity outages were recorded across the Issyk-Kul region of Kyrgyzstan on the evening of October 18, according to local residents. They said power was lost in Issyk-Kul, Tyup and Ak-Suu districts, as well as in the city of Karakol.
Uzbekistan and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) discussed the privatization of state-owned enterprises and banks, expanding financing for small and medium-sized businesses, and developing public-private partnership.
A new school with 225 places has been built in Katar-Zhangak village in Bazar-Korgon district of Jalal-Abad region, Kyrgyzstan. The Ministry of Construction reported that the project was financed from the republican budget. The total cost of the facility is 149 million soms.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 17. Turkmenistan has called on interested countries and international partners to support its initiative to establish the Ashgabat Climate Dialogue, a multilateral platform for cooperation on climate change and environmental protection. The call was reflected in a press release from the Turkmen government's press service, citing President Serdar Berdimuhamedov's speech at the 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku.
Toplumcu Demokrasi Partisi (TDP) Chairman Zeki Çeler and Secretary General Redif Ekinci went to the ballot box and voted at the ongoing Parliamentary Candidate Selection and Ranking Congress at Paradise Park in Lefkoşa (Nicosia), in Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
New rules for attracting foreign labour in Kazakhstan take effect on 17 October 2026. Employers found to have illegally hired foreign workers will be barred for one year from obtaining permits to bring in such workers. The changes are set out in an order of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population.
Uzbekistan and Malaysia have agreed to expand cooperation on training specialists for the semiconductor industry, developing microelectronics and conducting technological research. The Information Service and Communications Department of Uzbekistan's Ministry of Economy and Finance reported that memoranda of cooperation were signed between organizations and higher education institutions of the two countries during a working visit by an Uzbek delegation.
The Social Democracy Party (TDP), known in Turkish as Toplumcu Demokrasi Partisi, completed its Candidate Selection and Ranking Congress ahead of the 6 December general election. The congress was held at Paradise Park in Nicosia with high participation, as party members went to the ballot box to decide which candidates would run in the general election and how they would be ranked.
Azerbaijan exported 33,160 million kWh of electricity to the Islamic Republic of Iran in January–August 2026, the State Statistics Committee reported, as cited by Trend. The exports generated $942 thousand in revenue.
The price of Azerbaijan's Azeri Light crude oil on the global market fell by $2.78, or 2.33%, to $116.26 per barrel, a source in the oil market told Report. According to trading results, Brent crude oil futures for December stood at $116.59 per barrel.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev met business representatives from Azerbaijan, the United Kingdom, China and other countries on October 16 at the first meeting of the Investors Council in the fuel and energy sector, the presidential press service said.
Kazakhstani Ambassador Bagdat Amreyev has been elected Deputy Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for administrative and financial affairs, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry's press service said. The decision was taken at the 52nd session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, in which Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Isagaliyev took part.
Batma Topoyeva-Stavinskaya, head of the state institution Kyrgyztest, told journalists that President Sadyr Japarov may not need to confirm his Kyrgyz language skills if he runs in the presidential election scheduled for 27 January 2027.
History & Heritage
Gagauzia will mark October 19 as the Day of Remembrance of Famine Victims. The observance commemorates the famine genocide carried out by the Soviet regime against the Gagauz people in 1946-1947 and is dedicated to the victims of that period.
Vasil Shaykhrazyev, chairman of the Milli Shura of the World Tatar Congress, opened a meeting with regional journalists by thanking them and saying the Congress is ready to help solve problems arising in the regions. He said readership has declined, paper is disappearing and social networks are changing the world. Newspapers, he said, must move forward without falling behind the trend.
Bashkortostan, a Russian republic, has concluded a 9.2 million ruble agreement for 65 employers to hold internships. According to the republic’s Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Protection, the programme is part of the national project “Kadry” (Personnel) and is carried out through personnel centres.
A new event aimed at contributing to cultural and artistic life in Skopje is being prepared to meet art lovers under the title 'Bir Söz Bir Nefes'. The special programme will be held in cooperation between the Yeni Yol Kültür Güzel Sanatlar Derneği, the Yunus Emre Institute Skopje and Harmonius Koor, on Monday, 26 October 2026, at 19:30 at the Albanian Theatre in Skopje.
The Baymak district in Bashkortostan, Russia, is known as an agrarian region and makes a significant contribution to the republic's food security. Despite changing weather each year, local farmers harvest abundant crops, lead in kumis production and remain at the forefront of livestock farming.
An international conference, “XX–XXI Century Tatar Literature, Culture and Contemporary Literary Strategies”, was held at the Institute of Philology and Intercultural Communication of Kazan Federal University to mark the 85th anniversary of Tatarstan People's Poet Renat Kharis. Scholars from Russian regions, as well as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and other countries, took part, Intertat reported.
In the Russian region of Yakutia, deliveries of petroleum products to the Nizhny Bestyakh station are continuing as part of planned work to replenish fuel storage facilities. The total volume of the shipment is 19.5 thousand tonnes, according to Deputy Minister for Civil Defence and Life Safety of the Population Nikita Pavlov.
A jubilee evening marking the 85th birthday of poet and publicist Garifjan Mukhammetshin was held at the Baltach Culture Center in Tatarstan, Russia. Titled "Feeling the Sorrow of the Native Land," the event was reported by the press service of the Tatarstan Writers' Union.
Azerbaijan news
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On 17 October 2020, the Azerbaijani Army liberated the city of Fuzuli and several surrounding villages, ending more than 27 years of occupation that began on 23 August 1993. Deputy Sevil Mikayilova told Trend, as reported by Day.Az, that the priority now is turning the victory into sustainable development, rebuilding the destroyed city and enabling residents to resettle.
According to the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of Azerbaijan, 827 families, or 3,153 people, have returned to Fuzuli city so far. The committee said residential complexes are being built in the city alongside the development of social infrastructure.
Uzbekistan and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) discussed expanding cooperation on road and railway networks, logistics corridors, energy infrastructure and water systems during a meeting in Bangkok on October 15. According to a statement from the Uzbekistan Ministry of Economy and Finance, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Jamshid Kuchkarov met AIIB President Zou Jiayi on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 17. Turkmenistan has called on interested countries and international partners to support its initiative to establish the Ashgabat Climate Dialogue, a multilateral platform for cooperation on climate change and environmental protection. The call was reflected in a press release from the Turkmen government's press service, citing President Serdar Berdimuhamedov's speech at the 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku.
Kazakhstan news
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Astana Mayor Zhenis Kasymbek said on his Instagram page that around 50 road facilities are under way this year, with another 15 kilometres of road to be built by the end of the year, Egemen.kz reports. The projects are meant to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion on busy routes.
Kazakhstan's Special Assignments Ambassador of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Murat Mukyshev, took part in a meeting of the National Coordinators Council of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states, held from 15 to 18 October in Dushanbe, according to Egemen.kz.
The Migration Committee of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Labor strongly advised citizens not to believe enticing advertisements promising quick employment outside the country. According to the agency, most such offers come from foreign intermediaries and dubious organizations that are not officially registered in Kazakhstan and operate outside the legal framework.
New rules for attracting foreign labour in Kazakhstan take effect on 17 October 2026. Employers found to have illegally hired foreign workers will be barred for one year from obtaining permits to bring in such workers. The changes are set out in an order of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population.
Uzbekistan news
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Uzbekistan and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) discussed cooperation in infrastructure, energy, water management and private sector development. The meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Jamshid Kuchkarov and IFC Regional Vice President for the Middle East and Central Asia Imad Fakhoury took place on 15 October 2026 in Bangkok, on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank annual meetings.
Uzbekistan is raising the quality of medical care for children and adolescents with oncological and hematological diseases under a national plan for 2025–2035. The plan focuses on improving sector management and sustainable financing.
Uzbekistan and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) discussed the privatization of state-owned enterprises and banks, expanding financing for small and medium-sized businesses, and developing public-private partnership.
Uzbekistan and Malaysia have agreed to expand cooperation on training specialists for the semiconductor industry, developing microelectronics and conducting technological research. The Information Service and Communications Department of Uzbekistan's Ministry of Economy and Finance reported that memoranda of cooperation were signed between organizations and higher education institutions of the two countries during a working visit by an Uzbek delegation.
Kyrgyzstan news
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A new social town has been built in Kaiyndy-Bulak village of the Bayetov rural aiyl aimak in Ak-Talaa district, Naryn region, Kyrgyzstan, providing housing to 68 families. A Turmush correspondent reported that the town was built on a 1.5-hectare plot, funded by one of the charitable foundations. Its cost is 67 million 338 thousand soms.
Mass electricity outages were recorded across the Issyk-Kul region of Kyrgyzstan on the evening of October 18, according to local residents. They said power was lost in Issyk-Kul, Tyup and Ak-Suu districts, as well as in the city of Karakol.
A new school with 225 places has been built in Katar-Zhangak village in Bazar-Korgon district of Jalal-Abad region, Kyrgyzstan. The Ministry of Construction reported that the project was financed from the republican budget. The total cost of the facility is 149 million soms.
Batma Topoyeva-Stavinskaya, head of the state institution Kyrgyztest, told journalists that President Sadyr Japarov may not need to confirm his Kyrgyz language skills if he runs in the presidential election scheduled for 27 January 2027.
Turkmenistan news
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A business forum aimed at deepening trade and economic ties between Turkmenistan and India was held in Ashgabat. The event was organised by the Embassy of India in Turkmenistan together with the country's Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TPPT).
Turkmenistan's President Serdar Berdimuhamedov proposed the creation of a Regional Centre to Combat Desertification for the countries of Central Asia in a speech at the Leaders' Summit of the UN Biodiversity Conference in Yerevan, on 16 October.
Representatives of Turkmenistan took part as observers in the 46th meeting of the Coordinating Transport Meeting (KTS) of CIS member states in Astana. The meeting was held within the eighth International Transport and Logistics Business Forum «New Silk Way» and the international exhibition «TransLogistica Kazakhstan 2026».
Turkmenistan's President has signed a decree announcing a competition for the “Golden Age of Turkmenistan” award. The competition is open to workers in literature, culture and the arts, other creative people, amateur young singers and gifted children. According to the decree, its aim is to identify talented creative people who express the nation's culture, cultural heritage and ancient values through accomplished works, to select and encourage the best of them, to enrich Turkmen literature with large-scale works, and to further develop national art.
Northern Cyprus news
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The Social Democracy Party (TDP) presented 50 candidates from six electoral districts at its Candidate Ranking Congress, held at Paradise Park in Lefkoşa (Nicosia). The congress, held under the slogan “İyi Gelecek Seninle Gelecek” (A Good Future Will Come With You), was attended by party leaders, organisation representatives and many party members.
Toplumcu Demokrasi Partisi (TDP) Chairman Zeki Çeler and Secretary General Redif Ekinci went to the ballot box and voted at the ongoing Parliamentary Candidate Selection and Ranking Congress at Paradise Park in Lefkoşa (Nicosia), in Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
The Social Democracy Party (TDP), known in Turkish as Toplumcu Demokrasi Partisi, completed its Candidate Selection and Ranking Congress ahead of the 6 December general election. The congress was held at Paradise Park in Nicosia with high participation, as party members went to the ballot box to decide which candidates would run in the general election and how they would be ranked.
An analysis published in the Alithia newspaper, as reported by Kıbrıs Manşet, says Southern Cyprus did not meet its goal of joining the Schengen area in January this year. The article notes that no agreement among member states has been announced and that no firm date has been set for accession.
Türkiye news
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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has congratulated Azerbaijan on its 'Restoration of Independence Day'. In a post shared from his NSosyal account, Erdoğan described Azerbaijan as a 'dear and brotherly' country and said he heartily congratulated the day on behalf of his country and nation.
Mohammed Samaan Agha, recently appointed state minister in Iraq, pledged to work “for the benefit of Iraq and Türkiye” in remarks to Turkish journalists in Baghdad on Sunday. Agha, who also leads the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITC) and serves as governor of Kirkuk, had met Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday, when Fidan was in Baghdad for a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The Turkish Embassy in Baku said in a statement on 17 October 2026 that a report titled “Behind the scenes of Minister Hakan Fidan's meeting at GYF”, published by Qafqazinfo and some other news outlets, was based on baseless claims.
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli issued a written press statement marking Azerbaijan’s 18 October Independence Restoration Day. He congratulated the country on the 35th anniversary of the Constitutional Act on State Independence, adopted by the Republic of Azerbaijan on 18 October 1991.
Today's top Turkic news: Uzbekistan-China ties, Samarkand visit, Kulubaev-Rubio talks, Northern Cyprus festival and Turkmen desertification centre.
Read today's digest →