Organization of Turkic States ready to support Kazakhstan to overcome crisis

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA): In an extraordinary meeting convened Tuesday to address the latest developments in Kazakhstan, the Organization of Turkic States reiterated its readiness to support the Central Asian country in overcoming the crisis.

The virtual meeting of the foreign ministers was chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, with Kazakhstan’s Mukhtar Tileuberdi, Kyrgyzstan’s Ruslan Kazakbaev, Abdulaziz Kamilov of Uzbekistan, and Peter Szijjarto of Hungary in attendance.

The Organization of Turkic States is an international organization comprising prominent independent Turkic countries consisting of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Uzbekistan.

Turkmenistan’s Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov and Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States, Baghdad Amreyev, also joined the meeting.

A joint statement following the meeting conveyed the member state’s condolences for those who lost their lives during the unrest and wished recovery for the injured.

The organization condemned the acts of violence which it said “undermines public order”.

It also stressed the “importance of upholding the basic norms and principles of international law and supported the counter-terrorist operations of the Government of Kazakhstan against terrorists, radicals, extremists and criminals, who aim to destroy Constitutional order.”

The member states “reiterated their readiness to support the people and Government of Kazakhstan, as needed, to overcome the current crisis.”

They also agreed to “remain in close cooperation and consultation” with Kazakhstan, and expressed support for the reform agenda of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev “to further increase the well-being and prosperity of the brotherly people of Kazakhstan.”

Last week, Tokayev declared a state of emergency in the wake of protests against the doubling of prices of liquefied petroleum gas.

At least 9,900 have been detained as of Jan. 11, said the Interior Ministry. Police seized weapons, including 25 Makarov pistols, bulletproof vests and other equipment, according to the police.

Local media reported the deaths of two security guards and an intelligence officer Tuesday.

At least 164 people, including a 4-year-old girl, were killed during weeklong protests.

The government resigned after Tokayev held them responsible for the protests.

He later asked Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Russian-led military bloc, for help, which sent troops to quell the unrest.

[Photo of Emblem of Organisation of Turkic States by OTS/Public Domain]

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