The 5th Meeting of Health Ministers of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) took place in Astana, Kazakhstan on April 8, 2025. Hosted by Minister of Health of Kazakhstan Dr. Akmaral Alnazarova, the meeting was attended by Minister of Health of the Republic of Türkiye Prof. Dr. Kemal Memişoğlu, Minister of Health of Azerbaijan Dr. Teymur Musayev, Minister of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic Dr. Erkin Checheybayev, Minister of Health of Uzbekistan Dr. Asilbek Hudayarov, as well as the OTS Secretary-General Kubanychbek Omuraliev, and WHO Regional Director of Europe Dr. Hans Kluge. Following the OTS Health Ministers Meeting, the Final Declaration was signed by the Health Ministers of the OTS members states, and Memorandums of Understanding in the Field of Biosafety and Medical Education were also signed between the Turkish Ministry and the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan. On the occasion of the meeting, Health Minister Prof. Memisoğlu met with the Minister of Health of Kazakhstan Dr. Akmaral Alnazarova, Minister of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic Dr. Erkin Checheybayev, Minister of Health of Uzbekistan Dr. Asilbek Hudayarov, OTS Secretary-General Kubanychbek Omuraliev and WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr. Hans Kluge. The guest ministers were also received by the Vice President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Tamara B. Duisenova and Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Oljas Bektenov. Health Minister Prof. Memisoğlu, together with other participating Health Ministers, took part as a speaker in the “Panel on Attracting and Encouraging Investments in the Health Sector in the Countries of the Organization of Turkic States”. Addressing the participants at the opening of the session of the Health Ministers’ Meeting, Minister of Health Memişoğlu stated the following in his speech: “The Turkic world is a big family, united by common history, culture and strong ties. As we have voiced at the highest level on various platforms, the Organization of Turkic States is an effective cooperation platform not only regionally but also globally. Our Organization has the capacity to produce common solutions in the fields of health and humanity as well as political and economic relations. Today, we have come together with the vision of “developing human resources capacity at the primary health care level” and “strengthening global health diplomacy”. As we all know, the sustainability of health systems depends on the effectiveness of primary health care services and qualified healthcare professionals. The training of healthcare professionals and the sharing of experience between our countries will strengthen our regional health resilience. Türkiye has achieved significant success in primary health care services with the health reforms we have been carrying out for years. We provide our citizens with more accessible and effective health services through the strengthening of the family medicine system, the expansion of community-based health services, the integration of digital health solutions and our renewed modern hospital infrastructure. And we strive to share this knowledge with the brotherly countries under the roof of the Organization of Turkic States. Global health diplomacy requires not only cooperation between countries but also the capacity to act together in times of crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic and the recent natural disasters have once again shown critical importance of solidarity in the field of health. Türkiye has always been and will continue to be by the side of friendly and brotherly countries with its human and technical capacity. As Türkiye, we attach great importance to and support the increase of initiatives to develop joint projects in the field of health under the roof of the Organization of Turkic States. As a matter of fact, as the leading country in 5 of the 15 sub-working groups established in the field of health within the Organization of Turkic States, we have contributed to the current cooperation efforts with the active participation of our relevant technical units. Issues such as exchange programs for healthcare professionals, joint training initiatives and coordinated response mechanisms in crisis situations will further advance our cooperation. Including new thematic areas in the field of health and assigning various responsibilities to our member countries, our health action plan will further intensify efforts and dedication of all member countries to achieve our shared goals. The emphasis of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for the member countries of the Organization of Turkic States, “our unity is our strength”, is a call for cooperation between our countries so that we can look to the future with more confidence. Therefore, as the Organization of Turkic States, we must act together and take concrete steps to ensure equality in health. In this regard, we must work together to increase our joint production capacity in the field of health and to strengthen cooperation in the production of medical supplies and medicines. As Türkiye, we have recently started a new process with the vision of a “Productive Health System”. It is one of our most fundamental goals is that the Turkic World become an important part of this process, which extends from idea to production, from production to distribution and sharing. In order to prevent global power competition from spreading to our geography, we must be in stronger solidarity and use our resources for our common welfare. The two basic principles of our joint work should be “regional ownership” and “regional cooperation”. Insha’Allah, we will carry our Organization much further by working together in unity of hearts and ideals. On this occasion, I would like to emphasize once again the importance of the solidarity, we will show as the Turkic family, against the isolation our Turkish Cypriot brothers and sisters are exposed to in every field, especially in health. As Türkiye, we share the just cause of our Turkish Cypriot brothers and sisters, and we value the support of the Organization of Turkish States.”
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