OTS Gabala Declaration: Cyprus Issue Should Be Resolved Based on Realities on the Island

The declaration stated that OTS members “stand in solidarity with the Turkish Cypriot people, who are an inseparable part of the Turkic world, in their aspirations to secure their equal and inherent rights.”

Reaffirming the determination to strengthen solidarity, cooperation, and coordination among Turkic states in all fields, the declaration also outlined the organization’s position on regional issues such as Palestine, Cyprus, and Syria.

Signed by the leaders of the OTS founding members—Turkey, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan—the declaration reiterated the member states’ commitment to peace, security, stability, and prosperity, and renewed their pledges to enhance regional stability.

The declaration also expressed deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access. Emphasizing the need for a just and lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it reaffirmed support for a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine, in line with relevant UN resolutions.

On Syria, the declaration reaffirmed OTS members’ support for the country’s territorial integrity, unity, security, stability, and reconstruction efforts.

The leaders also called for accelerating the evaluation of the “Treaty on Strategic Partnership, Eternal Friendship, and Brotherhood among the Turkic States.”

They reaffirmed their commitment to combating all forms of hatred against Islam and to coordinating efforts on international platforms to address this issue.

The declaration welcomed the agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia to open communication channels connecting Azerbaijan’s mainland with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, which would enhance the region’s transit potential and contribute to peace, stability, and prosperity. It noted that member states support efforts to make the Zangezur Corridor operational, reaffirmed their commitment to fully utilizing the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway, and highlighted the importance of the Trans-Caspian International East-West Middle Corridor and the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway for strengthening interregional connectivity and diversifying trade routes between Europe and Asia.