BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 14. The seventh meeting of the heads of Muslim religious authorities of the member states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was held in Baku on September 14, Trend’s correspondent reports from the event.
The opening ceremony began with the national anthem followed by a recitation from the Quran.
In his speech, Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims’ Board (CMB) and Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade noted that the peoples of the member states of the OTS demonstrate true examples of brotherhood by standing together in both good times and difficult moments.
"During the 44-day Second Karabakh War for Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, we witnessed the comprehensive support of Türkiye. Turkic states spared no effort in assisting us with reconstruction work and breathing new life into our territories that had been subjected to vandalism, as well as during our 'Great Return' to a liberated Karabakh. The facilities built in Fuzuli and Aghdam by these fraternal countries—which have always stood by us—are gifts of immense sentimental value: the Mirza Ulugbek Secondary School (a gift from Uzbekistan), the Kurmangazy Children's Creativity Center (a gift from Kazakhstan), the Aykol Manas Secondary School (a gift from Kyrgyzstan), and the magnificent mosque built by Turkmenistan. It is a source of pride that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Ilham Aliyev personally attended the opening of the neighborhood built by Azerbaijan in the earthquake-stricken Kahramanmaraş region of Türkiye, just as the leaders of our fraternal Turkic countries personally participated in the inaugurations of the facilities in Karabakh," he said.
The Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Office noted that the next—the eighth—meeting would be held in Türkiye.
Türkiye’s Minister of Religious Affairs Safi Arpaguş said that amid global challenges and a crisis of values, it is important to strengthen cooperation among Turkic states in the religious, cultural and spiritual spheres, at the seventh meeting of Muslim religious leaders of the OTS.
He noted that the OTS has already become an important strategic alliance and that meetings of the heads of religious affairs and religious authorities of member states should not be limited to political and economic issues.
“These meetings should be viewed as a strategic consultation platform that ensures unity in the social, cultural and spiritual spheres. Such meetings are important for reviving religious, historical and cultural ties and developing common views and approaches to counter the negative effects of globalization,” he emphasized.
Arpaguş added that attempts to associate Islam with violence and terrorism, as well as systematic pressure, hate speech and xenophobia against Muslims in various parts of the world, are a cause for concern.
Mufti Rahman Gurbanmuradov, newly elected chairman of the Religious Administration of Muslims of Turkmenistan, said that cooperation among the member states of the OTS is developing across all areas.
He noted that muftis should contribute to this cooperation.
“Turkic peoples have produced many prominent Islamic scholars. Our peoples have deep-rooted historical ties of friendship and good neighborliness. A shared religion, similar cultures and the similarities between our languages form the foundation of the depth of our brotherhood,” he said.
The Baku Declaration was adopted as part of the seventh meeting of the Council of Heads of Muslim Religious Authorities of the OTS.
The document states that joint efforts to combat terrorism, extremism, separatism, Islamophobia, Turkophobia, sectarian discrimination and calls for hatred will continue. The protection of women’s and children’s rights, translation of religious literature, preparation of joint fatwas and promotion of the historical heritage of the Turkic world were also identified as priority areas.
Members of the Council have addressed President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. In the address, the religious leaders expressed deep gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev for the attention and support provided for the high-level organization of the seventh meeting of the Council of Heads of Muslim Religious Authorities of the OTS and the First International Scientific and Practical Conference dedicated to prominent Azerbaijani scholar and thinker Sheikh Seyyid Yahya Bakuvi, held in Baku.
The meeting discussed further strengthening cooperation among Muslim religious institutions, protecting and strengthening the family institution, Islam’s approach to science and technology, as well as other topical issues.
The seventh meeting of the Council of Heads of Muslim Religious Authorities of the OTS member states was attended by the heads of religious institutions from Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Overall, the event brought together statesmen, academics and religious figures representing 40 countries and 15 international organizations.
