Turkey accuses US, Europe of threatening OTS

Mevlut Cavusoglu

19 Nov 2022; MEMO: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused the US and Europe of making threats and pressuring members of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), which are already under severe stress.

Cavusoglu stated that the organisation's members had already received letters and memorandums from the US and Europe in this regard, commenting: "We must not forget that."

The foreign minister stressed: "[Turkiye] does not bow its head before any threats, be it the EU or the US. The unity of the Turkish world is important for stability in the region and the world."

The Turkish minister called for abandoning what he described as "threatening language" and instead urged cooperation to act in the interests of all parties, adding: "Let this be just a beginning, and the necessary steps will follow."

The Turkic Council or the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States, established in 2009, decided to change its name to the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) in November 2021 at the Istanbul Summit.

The organisation includes Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkiye, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, as well as Hungary participating as an observer.