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Hadi Haqshenas, governor of Iran's Gilan province, told Trend that operational work on the Rasht-Astara railway is continuing as part of the International North-South Transport Corridor. He said that about 120 kilometres of the 162-kilometre line's land has been purchased from citizens.
CTP Leader Sıla Usar İncirli attended the 6th Pile Peace Festival, organised by the Pile Turkish muhtarlık (headman’s office), the Pile Greek Cypriot muhtarlık and the UN Peacekeeping Force (UNFICYP) Pile Office. Speaking at the festival, İncirli said: “Peace beyond a political goal is communities trusting each other, drawing closer, and relations developing on the basis of mutual understanding and respect.”
Uzbekistan and the World Bank Group discussed prospects for economic growth, attracting private investment and creating new jobs. The talks took place on 16 October in Bangkok, where Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Jamshid Kuchkarov met World Bank Group President Ajay Banga. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, according to the Information Service and Communications Department of Uzbekistan's Ministry of Economy and Finance.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The National Bank and the Islamic Finance Association have signed a memorandum of cooperation, according to an AKIpress headline. The source text does not contain the article itself. It is held in an archive available only to Tazabek subscribers, so details such as the agreement's terms, its date and its objectives cannot be confirmed from the material available.
Kazakhstan has obtained observer status in the Asian Alliance for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, according to the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan. The decision was announced at the alliance's fourth Council meeting in Hangzhou, China. More than 20 states sent officials from relevant agencies, along with representatives of international organisations working on heritage conservation and protection in conflict zones.
Daily cargo traffic through the Nur Zholy checkpoint on the Kazakhstan–China border has risen by more than 21%, according to Khabar 24, citing 24KZ. Authorities plan to further increase the facility's capacity. Since 17 September, part of the vehicle flow has been redirected to the Khorgos International Border Cooperation Center (MCPS Khorgos).
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.
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).
During the official visit of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov to Armenia, a memorandum of cooperation in education and science was signed between Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Innovation and Armenia's Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports. According to the Kyrgyz ministry, the document aims to develop bilateral cooperation, exchange experience and strengthen interaction between educational and scientific organisations in the two countries.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, replying to a letter from Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman, said obstacles to Turkish Cypriot cultural, sports, political and diplomatic activities are discouraging and run counter to his calls for strengthening mutual trust. According to the Presidency, Guterres answered Erhürman’s letter of 28 August with a letter dated 16 October.
Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides accused Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman of setting “preconditions” for resuming negotiations. He criticised the Turkish Cypriot insistence on pre-accepting a rotating presidency after a settlement, arguing that all issues should be addressed at the negotiating table.
Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Minister Zheenbek Kulubaev will take part in talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on October 19, 2026, according to the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry as reported by Kaktus.media. The meeting will take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, with the heads of diplomatic agencies of five Central Asian states attending.
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).
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.
Azerbaijan's Cabinet of Ministers has adopted a decision on a uniform school uniform, which some political and public circles in Türkiye have met with discontent. Speaking to Modern.az, Aydin Mirzazada, a member of the Milli Majlis committee on defence, security and anti-corruption, said it is wrong to present statements by individuals against Azerbaijan as the position of the Turkish state.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev will visit Samarkand region on Sunday, according to a statement from the head of state's press service. The visit is scheduled for October 18–19.
In a column for AzerNEWS, Farman Aydin asks whether Ankara regards Baku as an equal sovereign partner or as an ally whose foreign policy should conform to Turkish expectations. The question comes amid controversy over oil exports through the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline. The author argues that strategic partnerships cannot rely on historical sentiment alone and require mutual respect, consistent principles, and recognition that even close allies retain the right to pursue their own national interests.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump wants to use a 60-day period to assess the economic effects of sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia. Speaking to reporters ahead of his visit to Uzbekistan, Rubio also commented on Trump's signing of a decree providing for the suspension of new sanctions aimed at Russia.
Today's top Turkic news: Uzbekistan-China ties, Samarkand visit, Kulubaev-Rubio talks, Northern Cyprus festival and Turkmen desertification centre.
Read today's digest →