Details added (first published: 14:26)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 16. I express my gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev for calling for an extraordinary summit of the Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan said speaking at the summit, Trend reports.
He noted that this Summit symbolizes the unity of the Turkic world.
"On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of the country, I express my gratitude to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev for the proposal to hold an Extraordinary Summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Türkiye," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
Meanwhile, the Extraordinary Summit of the Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States has kicked off today in Ankara, Türkiye.
The event was initially due to be held in Shusha. However, following the devastating earthquake in Türkiye, President Ilham Aliyev put forward a proposal to hold the Summit in Ankara in an effort to support the brotherly country. After coordination of the matter with the leaders of other participating countries, the relevant decision was made. This is yet another clear example of the Azerbaijan-Türkiye brotherhood, as well as a sign of mutual support and respect in the Turkic world.
Devoted to the theme of “Disaster-Emergency Management and Humanitarian Assistance”, the Summit will serve as a high-level platform for the discussion of the extraordinary agenda of the Organization aroused due to the recent earthquake disaster that happened in southern and southeastern regions of Türkiye. The leaders will elaborate on devising solid multilateral cooperation and coordination mechanisms within the framework of the Organization in the fight against disasters as well as hold consultations on current challenges in the region.
The powerful earthquake hit southeastern Türkiye on Feb. 6, 2023. The quake occurred at a depth of seven kilometers in the Pazarcik region of Kahramanmaras Province.
The provinces of Hatay, Gaziantep, Kilis, Osmaniye, Malatya, Adiyaman, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana and Kahramanmaras were subjected to severe destruction. The quake’s epicenter was located 26 km away from the city of Gaziantep with a population of about 1.06 million.