Tokayev: It is significant for Turkic countries to respond promptly to emergencies

It is extremely important for the Turkic countries to quickly respond to emergencies. This was stated by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at an extraordinary summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) on Thursday in Ankara.

“I believe that the tragedy of Türkiye, which suffered from a devastating earthquake, is the tragedy of all Turkic peoples. The Kazakhs have a saying, “grief shared becomes smaller.” Our people never stood aside when loved ones were going through hard times,” Tokayev said.

President of Kazakhstan stressed that the people of Kazakhstan immediately extended a helping hand to the Turkish brothers.

“The Kazakh side is ready to build a social facility in the disaster zone. I am sure that this will serve as a sign of our sincere concern for the fraternal Turkish people,” said Tokaev.

At the same time, the Kazakh leader noted the unity and solidarity demonstrated by the Turkic countries.

“At the most critical moment, the Turkic states demonstrated their solidarity and responsiveness. Let our unity grow stronger and our cooperation, which always relies on mutual support, become stronger,” Tokayev said.

According to him, it is extremely important for the Turkic countries to quickly respond to emergency situations, as well as to strengthen interaction between the OTS Secretariat and its participants.

“First. We must combine our efforts to prevent natural disasters. The earthquake in Türkiye showed the need for constant preparedness for such threats. Therefore, I propose to establish joint forces of our emergency agencies within the framework of the Organization. This structure can be created on the basis of the Center for Emergency Situations and Disaster Risk Reduction in Almaty. This center was established in 2016 by the governments of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. I consider it expedient to give the joint forces the status of the Organization’s Civil Protection Secretariat, which will coordinate the work to provide assistance to countries affected by natural disasters. Within the framework of this structure, international events will be organized,” the President said.

In addition, Tokayev noted the importance of increasing the readiness of search and rescue services. “I propose to develop a common list of forces and technical equipment of rescue services operating in the OTS countries.

This measure will allow us to quickly respond in a critical situation and coordinate actions to eliminate the consequences of natural disasters,” he said.

“Relevant is the exchange of information and experience for the prevention of emergencies between rescue services. This autumn Kazakhstan will host the international training camp “Kazkutkaru”. I invite the rescue services of the OTS member states to take part in this event and propose to organize the first meeting of responsible leaders in this area,” added Tokayev .

Tokayev also noted the importance of strengthening the cooperation of the Turkic world.

“You know how difficult the geopolitical and economic situation in the world is now. Under these conditions, it is very important to strengthen the cooperation of the Turkic world. Thus, our Organization demonstrates that it has taken its rightful place in the international arena. Our countries need to bring political, economic and cultural interaction to a new level. This is one of the priority areas of Kazakhstan’s foreign policy,” said the Kazakh leader.

The President of Kazakhstan also noted the authority of President Erdogan. “This year the Republic of Türkiye is celebrating its centenary. This is a big historical milestone. In a short period, Türkiye has become a truly strong, influential and authoritative state in the international arena. A huge merit in this belongs personally to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This is recognized by the entire world community. I would like to wish Recep Tayyip Erdogan success in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections. I am sure that the Turkish people will support you,” said Tokayev.

At the end of his speech, the President of Kazakhstan invited the participants of the meeting to take part in the 10th anniversary OTS summit, which will be held in October this year in Turkestan.