Turkic States Deepen Electoral Cooperation

On May 14, 2025, in the city of Turkistan, the Regulation on the Advisory Platform of Central Election Authorities (APCEA) of the Member States of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was officially signed.

The event was attended by the heads of the central election authorities of the OTS Member States - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkiye, Uzbekistan, as well as the observer state Hungary. Representatives of four prominent international organizations also participated: the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB), the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA), and the Turkic Academy. In addition, the event brought together scholars from OTS countries, members of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, members of the Expert Council under the CEC of Kazakhstan, and the chairs of territorial election commissions from the regions and the cities of Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent.

The establishment of the Advisory Platform of Central Election Bodies of the OTS Member States was initiated by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the 10th Anniversary summit of the OTS, held on November 3, 2023, in Astana.

The decision to establish the Platform was unanimously supported by the heads of all Turkic states and was reflected in the Bishkek Declaration of the 11th OTS Summit, signed on November 6, 2024.

At the signing ceremony, Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan Nurlan Abdirov read a welcoming letter from the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, addressed to the participants.

The Head of State thanked his colleagues from fraternal countries for supporting the initiative to create the Advisory Platform and expressed confidence that the initiative would contribute to the development of the electoral systems of the OTS Member States.

“It is symbolically significant that the signing of the Platform’s regulation takes place in Turkistan - the spiritual capital of the Turkic world. Given the importance of the topic, I fully support the organization of the conference ‘The Turkic World: Traditions, Practice, and Prospects for the Development of Electoral Systems.’ These events will undoubtedly further deepen cooperation among our fraternal nations with shared historical roots,” the President emphasized in his letter, wishing the Platform fruitful work.

Welcoming letters were also sent by the Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan Maulen Ashimbayev, and the Chairman of the Mazhilis of the Parliament Yerlan Koshanov.

During the event, the Chairman of the CEC of Kazakhstan noted, based on publicly available sources, that there are currently 96.5 million registered voters in OTS member states, and in the past two years, these countries have held 15 elections at various levels. He added: “Today, we have gathered in Turkestan, the spiritual capital of the entire Turkic world, to sign the Regulation on the Advisory Platform of Central Election Bodies of the OTS member states. Creating such a dialogue platform in this strategically important political field will help improve the quality, efficiency, and inclusiveness of electoral processes in OTS countries.”

The heads of central election authorities of OTS Member States - Mazahir Panahov from Azerbaijan, Tynchtyk Shainazarov from Kyrgyzstan, Ahmet Yener from Turkiye, and Zayniddin Nizamkhodjaev from Uzbekistan delivered speeches. A welcoming letter from Attila Nagy, Head of the National Election Office of Hungary, was also read. Other speakers included Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Secretary General of the OTS,  Mehmet Sureyya Er, Secretary General of TURKPA, Askhat Kesikbayev, Vice President of the Turkic Academy.

The signed Regulation of the Advisory Platform provides for systematic cooperation among the central election authorities of OTS Member States to enhance mutual understanding and electoral process efficiency. It encourages Member States to:

• develop multilateral cooperation and coordination through organizing OTS international election observation missions during elections and referenda in Member States;

• create a platform for dialogue, exchange of information, experience, and best practices in electoral procedures;

• promote cooperation between election authorities of Member States;

• implement innovative approaches and technologies in electoral processes;

• coordinate central election authorities activities during electoral events;

• facilitate expert exchanges and the dissemination of training and methodological materials;

• participate in election observation to study other countries’ experiences and further develop their own electoral systems, among other goals.

On the sidelines of the event, the Chairman of the CEC of Kazakhstan held bilateral meetings with counterparts from Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkiye, Uzbekistan, and Hungary, as well as with the heads of the OTS, A-WEB, and TURKPA. The meetings focused on mutual cooperation and experience-sharing in organizing electoral campaigns. The parties reaffirmed the importance of developing international electoral cooperation and expressed confidence that the newly created common platform would become a valuable mechanism for regular consultations and joint efforts to enhance electoral processes.

On the same day, the International Scientific and Practical Conference titled "The Turkic World: Traditions, Practice, and Prospects for the Development of Electoral Systems" was held, co-organized with the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.