New era for the Turkic world: joint transit corridor and football plan at OTS summit

Zorlu said important decisions and several agreements are expected to be adopted and signed at the summit of Turkic states hosted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He said the summit would not be limited to improving existing cooperation among Turkic states, but would also be an important turning point in setting the common goals for the coming period.

The summit's theme will be “Turkic Century: Unity in Language, Thought and Action,” Zorlu said. He noted that joint work is under way across more than 30 topics among Turkic states. Along with the summit, the rotating chairmanship of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) will pass to Türkiye, he said.

A joint transit corridor for citizens of Turkic states at airports is being targeted, with work coordinated by the foreign, interior and transport ministries. Zorlu said the aim is a practice similar to the travel facilities EU citizens enjoy in EU countries, and that talks had reached a positive stage. A common currency and duty-free travel are also long-term goals. In football, players are expected to be treated as domestic players in each other's countries. A Turkic States Football Cup, planned every two years, was also announced, with details to follow after the summit.