Turkey hosts 13th summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Ankara

On October 29-30, 2026, Ankara hosted the 13th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), where Turkey assumed the rotating presidency from Azerbaijan. During the summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan advocated for the international recognition of the 'sovereign equality' of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which holds observer status within the organization. Erdogan urged member states to increase political, diplomatic, and social contacts with the entity, describing the Turkish Cypriots as an integral part of the 'Turkic world' and emphasizing that there is no room for division within their family of states.

Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman attended the summit and met with President Erdogan to discuss bilateral ties and the Cyprus problem. Erhurman argued that international engagement with the TRNC and finding a solution to the island's division are complementary processes, citing letters from the UN Secretary-General and the European Commission as support for ending the isolation of Turkish Cypriots. Ankara maintains that no viable solution to the Cyprus conflict can be reached without acknowledging the rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot community, while continuing its firm support for a two-state solution based on sovereign equality.