The First Meeting of the Heads of Institutions in charge of Religious Affairs of the OTS Member States was held in Istanbul on 15 April 2022.

The program started in Hagia Sophia Mosque with the Friday prayer that was also attended  by the President of the Republic of Türkiye H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and followed by the reopening ceremony of the Fatih Madrasa of Hagia Sophia Mosque inaugurated by President of Turkyie in the presence of the Heads of Institutions in charge of Religious Affairs of the OTS, the Secretary General of the OTS Baghdad Amreyev and high-level government representatives of Türkiye.

The First Meeting of the Heads of Institutions in charge of Religious Affairs of the OTS Member States hosted by the President of Religious Affairs of Türkiye Prof.Dr. Ali Erbaş and the OTS Secretary General H.E. Baghdad Amreyev and attended by Chairman of the Council of Elders of the OTS H.E. Binali Yıldırım, Chairman of Caucasus Muslims’ Board H.E. Allahşükür Paşazade, Head of the Religious Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan H.E.Nauryzbay Otpenov, Head of the Religious Administration of Muslims of Uzbekistan H.E.Nuriddin Haliknazarov and Deputy Director of the Kyrgyzstan State Religious Commission Zamir Kozhomberdiev. 

OTS Secretary General B. Amreyev and Heads of Institutions in charge of Religious Affairs attending the meeting underlined the important role played by religious institutions in strengthening the bond among the brotherly States of the OTS.

In his speech, B. Amreyev stated the importance of such topics as exchanging views on the activities of the religious institutions of Member States,religious education given in schools at various levels in the Turkic States, the fight against Islamophobia and hate speech as well as joint steps against religious extremism targeting our youth.

Participants  stressed in their speeches the importance of preserving the Turkic-Islamic values and transforming it into solid cooperation among the religious institutions while standing united against Islamophobia and radicalism. 

On the margins of the Conference Secretary General B. Amreyev held bilateral meetings with the Heads of religious Institutions of OTS Member States to explore ways of prospective cooperation and exchanged views on the main topics of potential joint activities to be realized in the upcoming period.