Advisory Platform of the Central Election Authorities of the Member States 

of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) Holds Working Meeting

On 28 November 2025, in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, a working meeting of the Advisory Platform of the Central Election Authorities of the Member States of the Organization of Turkic States (APCEA) was held.

The meeting of the Advisory Platform was attended by Deputy Secretary-General of the OTS Mirvohid Azimov, as well as the heads of the central election authorities of the OTS Member States. 

According to the Regulation on the Advisory Platform, chairmanship of the APCEA from the date of its establishment until the second General Assembly of the APCEA is carried out by the Head of Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Opening the working meeting of the Advisory Platform, Chairman of the CEC RK Nurlan Abdirov underscored in his opening remarks: 

"As you know, following the 12th OTS Summit, held on 7 October 2025 in Gabala, Azerbaijan, the Gabala Declaration was signed, reaffirming the shared commitment to strengthen institutional coordination in the Turkic world. In this context, the activities of our Advisory Platform are fully aligned with this agenda and contribute to developing cooperation among our electoral bodies."

During the meeting, a collection titled “Turkistan Electoral Forum – 2025” was presented. It brings together materials from the First meeting of the Advisory Platform, held on 14 May 2025 in Turkistan, as well as papers delivered at the International Scientific and Practical Conference entitled “The Turkic World: Traditions, Practice, and Prospects for the Development of Electoral Systems.” The conference was attended by heads and representatives of the central election authorities of the OTS Member States, the OTS Observer State  - Hungary, and four international organizations: the OTS, the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB), the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA), the Turkic Academy.  It also brought together scholars from OTS countries, deputies of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, and members of the Expert Council under the CEC RK.

This collection provides a comprehensive overview of the history of electoral systems of the OTS Member States, their legal frameworks, experience in election administration, contemporary electoral challenges and development prospects, as well as the outcomes and recommendations of the above-mentioned conference. The publication is a valuable resource for the academic community studying electoral processes, election authorities, international organizations, and practitioners. 

At the meeting of the Advisory Platform, participants discussed upcoming priority tasks and the Action Plan for the Republic of Kazakhstan’s chairmanship of the Advisory Platform of the Central Election Authorities of the OTS Member States (APCEA) for 2025-2027. 

Another agenda item concerned the preparation and publication of a collective monograph “Electoral Systems of the Member States of the Organization of Turkic States.” This publication is expected to strengthen scientific and institutional cooperation among Turkic states, promote the development of a shared electoral culture, and provide a foundation for joint research.

It is worth noting that the Regulations on the APCEA, signed by the heads of the central election authorities of the OTS Member States, encourage multilateral cooperation and coordination through the organization of international observation missions during elections and referenda.

In this context, the working meeting considered a proposal to establish a Working Group to reduce the impact of deepfakes on the electoral process. The Group’s main tasks include monitoring the spread of deepfakes during the electoral period, assessing risks, developing response protocols, and ensuring the timely exchange of information among the electoral bodies of OTS member states. 

Participants of the working meeting supported the joint implementation of this proposal.

The Working Group’s activities will focus on enhancing the transparency of the electoral process, strengthening public trust, and developing common approaches to countering disinformation. It is also planned to consider initiatives aimed at improving media literacy, implementing information security standards, and strengthening coordination in the digital environment.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Supreme Election Council (SEC) of the Republic of Türkiye, Ahmet Yener, emphasized the strategic importance of establishing the Advisory Platform and commended the quality and content of the presented collection. He expressed readiness support the preparation and publication the collective monograph “Electoral Systems of the Member States of the OTS” and wished success to the Working Group.

The Chairman of the SEC of Turkiye also proposed an initiative to form APCEA missions to observe future electoral campaigns in OTS countries, followed by the preparation of reports and the holding of briefings on the outcomes. Participants of the meeting supported the initiative.

For reference: The initiative to establish the Advisory Platform of Central Election Authorities of the OTS Member States was proposed by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, on 3 November 2023 at the 10th OTS Anniversary Summit in Astana. The proposal was supported by all Heads of the Member States and was reflected in the Bishkek Declaration of the 11th OTS Summit, adopted on 6 November 2024.

The first meeting of the Advisory Platform of Central Election Authorities of the OTS Member States took place on 14 May 2025 in Turkistan.