On March 4, an online meeting titled “Prospects for Cooperation between NGOs of Azerbaijan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)” was held on the initiative of the Platform of NGOs of the Member States of the Organization of Turkic States, with the technical support of the Azerbaijan National NGO Forum and the institutional support of the Representation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The meeting was moderated by Ramil Isgandarli, Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijan National NGO Forum. Delivering the opening remarks, Azer Allahveranov, Secretary-General of the Platform of NGOs of the Member States of the Organization of Turkic States and Member of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan, provided detailed information about the activities carried out by the Secretariat since its establishment, its future plans, and the existing relations with NGOs of Northern Cyprus. He emphasized that the main goal of the Secretariat is to provide institutional support for strengthening partnership relations among civil society institutions of the Turkic states and to coordinate efforts aimed at increasing the effectiveness of their joint initiatives.
Ufuk Turganer, a representative of the TRNC Representation in Azerbaijan, spoke about the importance of holding such meetings to further develop bilateral relations. He noted that the proposals and recommendations voiced during the meeting would be used in the preparation of a framework document aimed at strengthening cooperation among NGOs.
During the meeting, NGO representatives discussed the importance of developing women’s entrepreneurship, organizing activities in the fields of sports and youth, preserving cultural heritage, intensifying migration and tourism exchanges, and establishing direct connections between organizations operating in various sectors of the economy. They also emphasized the need to implement joint initiatives to support these efforts. Participants identified the expansion of information exchange, mutual support at international events, and the establishment of coordinated mechanisms of cooperation as priority areas.
The speakers paid special attention to the role of the platform, noting that this initiative would strengthen the institutional cooperation of civil society organizations across the Turkic world and contribute to enhancing solidarity among them.
At the end of the meeting, participants agreed to intensify such meetings and to continue organizing sector-specific meetings among specialized NGOs in order to further strengthen cooperation.
