Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi joined his counterparts from the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) for a meeting Thursday in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana. Çiftçi lauded growing cooperation among the countries and expressed hope that the Turkic world would have its own law enforcement body similar to Interpol.

Çiftçi said they had proposed establishing a new institutional mechanism among OTS countries to combat crime, adding that a "Council for Combating Crime” would provide a strong umbrella for cooperation in various areas.

Noting that the first meeting on the council’s founding agreement was held in July, Çiftçi said the mechanism would also enable joint efforts to identify wanted individuals.

He said the proposed structure could eventually evolve into a more comprehensive institution. "We believe that, like EUROPOL and ASEANAPOL, this mechanism could eventually become TURKPOL (the Turkic States Law Enforcement Cooperation Agency),” he said.

Çiftçi said they aim to sign the founding agreement at the next meeting once negotiations are completed.

Originally launched as the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States by Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the group evolved into the OTS at its landmark Istanbul summit in November 2021. The rebranding was widely interpreted as the start of a new era for the Turkic integration process, signaling an ambition to translate cultural bonds into geopolitical clout.

Türkiye will assume the rotating presidency of the OTS at a summit it will host in October.

Çiftçi noted that the world is going through a period marked by growing regional and global conflicts, continued attacks in Gaza and across the region, and serious challenges to international law, emphasizing the importance of security cooperation among OTS countries.

The minister said cooperation between the interior ministries has been further strengthened with each meeting, adding that after the recent meeting in Baku, cooperation had been enhanced in a number of areas, particularly law enforcement training, combating crime and migration management.

Noting that legal texts signed during this process had also strengthened the legal framework for joint efforts, Çiftçi said the "Police Academies Platform of the Turkic States,” established last year, would make significant contributions to academic and professional capacity.