Ankara served as the venue for the inaugural summit of the Heads of Mapping Institutions of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). This historic event gathered representatives from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkey, along with observer states like Hungary and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), to strengthen collaboration in geographical and cartographic projects.
The summit, characterized as a pivotal advancement in the unification of the Turkic world, was presided over by Turkey’s Deputy Minister of National Defense, Şuay Alpay, who underscored the historical significance of geography and cartography. Alpay emphasized that the geostrategic significance of the Turkic world has escalated due to recent global developments, stressing the imperative of unity under the OTS framework.
The summit’s main objective was to establish a Cartography Working Group within the OTS to standardize joint map production processes and support the development of a comprehensive Turkic world map, much like the organization’s earlier initiative on a unified alphabet for Turkic languages. This collaborative mapping initiative seeks to enhance the exchange of technical knowledge, reciprocal training, and the execution of joint projects in fields like digital cartography, geodesy, remote sensing, and geographic data-sharing.
The proposed Common Turkic World Map aims to visually portray common heritage, cultural connections, and geopolitical objectives, signifying enhanced integration among Turkic-speaking states. This action is regarded as a component of a comprehensive plan to strengthen the geopolitical unity of the Turkic world in the context of evolving global alliances.
The meeting ended with intentions to endorse a joint declaration detailing future collaboration in mapping and geospatial research. The newly established Cartography Working Group will function under the leadership of the OTS Secretariat and convene yearly to assess progress and establish new milestones for regional collaboration.
The project, garnering extensive support from member and observer states, aims to increase technical collaboration and fortify geopolitical connections among the Turkic nations, so reinforcing the OTS’s function as a forum for greater regional unification.
By: NAT Editorial Team