Turkic Council Secretary General Halil Akinci participated in the Third Ministerial Conference of the Istanbul Process on Afghanistan. The Third Conference of the Istanbul Process, initiated by Turkey in 2011, took place in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 26 April, 2013. The event was attended by representatives from fourteen countries located in the region known as “Heart of Asia”, among them Member States of the Turkic Council, as well as officials from other countries and international organizations supporting the Process. Hosted by Kazakhstan, the Conference was attended by Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Erlan Abdyldaev, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, and Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov.
Co-chaired by Afghanistan and Kazakhstan, the Conference was opened with a speech by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. President Nazarbayev told that Kazakhstan was deeply involved in the process of Afghan reconstruction and contributed to Afghanistan’s development in cooperation with international organizations. He stressed the importance of working toward Afghanistan’s successful integration into the regional economy.
Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Erlan Abdyldaev, speaking in his capacity as Chairman-in-Office of the Turkic Council, noted that Turkic countries enjoy close historical and cultural links with Afghanistan and supported peace and prosperity in the country and, hence, in the region. Halil Akinci, Secretary General of the Turkic Council, outlined the Organization’s stance on regional issues. Being an international organization established by countries located in the region, he said, Turkic Council’s position on regional issues is based on the principle of regional ownership. “In this connection as neighbors of Afghanistan we feel responsibility for the security and welfare of Afghanistan. We at the same time believe that any effort towards achieving security and stability of Afghanistan should be Afghan-led. Our role is limited to support Afghan endeavors to this end.”
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