Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş emphasized in Astana that unity among Turkic nations is a “strategic asset” that can shape a just and inclusive new world order, urging stronger cooperation, independence and shared vision through the platform of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TÜRKPA).
Kurtulmuş on Thursday delivered a call for deeper integration among Turkic states during the 14th General Assembly of TÜRKPA, hosted by Kazakhstan. Stressing that the world is witnessing the collapse of unipolar and bipolar systems, Kurtulmuş argued that the Turkic world must seize this historic moment to contribute meaningfully to a new, multicentric global order.
“From Central Asia to the heart of Europe, a Turkic world of 300 million people is rising with its own geopolitical weight, cultural heritage and civilizational vision,” Kurtulmuş said, urging collective action to build a future rooted in unity, independence, and shared destiny.
Framing his keynote speech around the three strategic pillars of unity, independence and a common future, Kurtulmuş reminded delegates that true unity requires more than shared language or culture – it demands strong institutions and concrete cooperation. “Unity is above all else,” he said. “Without it, even common language and ideals have no power.”
Kurtulmuş emphasized that institutions like the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) and its parliamentary dimension, TÜRKPA, are vital for building resilient, interlinked structures across the Turkic world.
He called for all Turkic nations—including observer members Hungary and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)—to be active participants in this process and reiterated Türkiye’s hope that Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan would join TÜRKPA as full members.
Kurtulmuş also underscored that political independence alone is not sufficient. “True independence must extend to all sectors – from culture and the arts to high technology, agriculture and defense industries,” he said. “A nation dependent on others remains independent only on paper.”
The most challenging form of independence, he argued, is cultural: “Freeing ourselves from hegemonic, imperial mindsets is not easy. But we have a deep civilizational heritage and strong cultural anchors to guide us.”
Calling the Turkic world “a strategic region with immense underground and above-ground resources,” Kurtulmuş reiterated that the “Turkish Century” is not just a slogan but a realistic ambition. “If we can realize our common goals,” he said, “the Turkic world will be a rising star of the next era.”
He also linked the Turkic world’s mission to the broader need for a new global order centered on justice and human dignity. Referring to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Israel’s interception of a civilian aid ship, Kurtulmuş said the current system has failed humanity.
“We cannot remain spectators while innocent people die under rubble,” he said. “Human dignity has collapsed. We need a new global order based on justice, conscience and equality at creation.”
Praising TÜRKPA’s evolution over the past 17 years, Kurtulmuş described it as a “young but maturing institution” capable of leading parliamentary diplomacy in the region. He noted TÜRKPA’s role in drafting model legislation that strengthens ties among national parliaments and inspires other regional bodies.
As the rotating chairmanship of TÜRKPA passed from Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan and the secretary generalship from Türkiye to Azerbaijan, Kurtulmuş extended his gratitude to outgoing Secretary-General Süreyya Er and welcomed Ramil Hasanov as his successor.
“We will continue working tirelessly under TÜRKPA for peace, order, justice and development in every corner of the Turkic homeland,” he concluded.
