Muslim Board of Uzbekistan

President of Uzbekistan: We Support the Prompt Adoption of the Treaty on Strategic Partnership, Eternal Friendship and Brotherhood among the Turkic States

08.10.2025 34811 15 min.

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev today participated in the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), held in the city of Gabala, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

According to the press service of the Head of our state, The event, chaired by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, was also attended by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, the President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the National Leader of the Turkmen People, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States Kubanychbek Omuraliev, and other high-ranking officials.

In line with the agenda, participants exchanged views on the current state and prospects of multifaceted cooperation within the Organization and discussed pressing issues of practical interaction among member countries.

At the beginning of his speech, the President of Uzbekistan expressed sincere gratitude to the President of Azerbaijan for the excellent organization of the summit in Gabala. This city has long been a key trade and cultural center along the Great Silk Road.

"In recent years, thanks to your personal initiative, we have visited many regions of modern Azerbaijan. We have witnessed the gradual improvement of the beautiful Karabakh, and we see the tremendous creative work taking place in the cities of Shusha, Khankendi, and Aghdam. As your close friends, we are, of course, very pleased with these positive developments", the Head of State emphasized.

It was particularly noted that the Declaration of Peace signed between Azerbaijan and Armenia opens up broad opportunities for the member states of the Organization to strengthen cooperation in the fields of trade, economy, transport, and humanitarian exchange.

The President of Uzbekistan also expressed gratitude to the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov for his effective chairmanship of the Organization of Turkic States and for his valuable contribution to elevating cooperation within the Organization to a new level.

Turning to the agenda of the summit, the Leader of Uzbekistan provided a brief assessment of the current international situation, emphasizing that the present meeting is taking place amid complex geopolitical transformations and growing security challenges both globally and regionally.

"At the recent jubilee session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the speeches and approaches of world leaders once again demonstrated the absence of a unified position regarding the architecture of modern global politics and security", the Head of State stated.

In this context, the President of Uzbekistan once again emphasized the need for deep reform and improvement of the global governance system, strengthening the role of the United Nations and its Security Council, and amplifying the voice of developing countries in international affairs.

It was noted that the escalating conflicts and wars across the Eurasian continent, with no clear end in sight, are having a negative impact on the member states of the Organization of Turkic States. The President expressed serious concern over the tragedy in the Gaza Strip, the situation surrounding Ukraine, issues related to the Iranian nuclear program, and the stability of Afghanistan.

The Head of State welcomed the efforts and new initiatives of leading world powers aimed at building a just global order based on mutual trust and security.

To enable a comprehensive analysis of the global situation and the adoption of necessary coordinated measures, the President of Uzbekistan proposed holding joint meetings of the foreign ministers and heads of security services of the OTS member states, with the first session in this format scheduled for next year in the city of Samarkand.

The Leader of Uzbekistan also highlighted the growing role and significance of the Organization of Turkic States, which in a short period has become one of the rapidly developing and influential international structures. This is evidenced by the expansion of high-level political dialogue, strengthening mutual trust, and the active implementation of joint projects and humanitarian programs.

Currently, the OTS framework encompasses practical cooperation in more than 35 areas. The volume of mutual trade continues to grow steadily and is expected to double by 2030.

In the main part of his speech, the President of Uzbekistan focused on specific issues related to the expansion of practical cooperation.

It was emphasized that the top priority is to enhance the authority and capacity of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) and to strengthen its role in the near future as a platform for practical cooperation.

"In this regard, we support the early coordination and adoption of the Treaty on Strategic Partnership, Eternal Friendship, and Brotherhood among Turkic States. Undoubtedly, as the key political document guiding the development of our cooperation, this important treaty will serve as a solid foundation for further rapprochement among our brotherly nations and for elevating practical cooperation to a new level", the Head of State stated.

To broaden and accelerate the dynamics of multifaceted partnership, the President of Uzbekistan proposed the development of the OTS Development Strategy until 2030, along with a separate roadmap for its implementation. He emphasized the need for these documents to include specific areas and measures of cooperation.

First, he highlighted the development of trade and economic relations, as well as the deepening of industrial cooperation.

The President of Uzbekistan once again advocated for the creation, in the near future, of a Space of New Economic Opportunities within the OTS framework, aimed at establishing the most favorable conditions, as well as the legal and infrastructural foundations for trade, business, and mutual investment.

To ensure the consistent development of practical cooperation and the formulation of concrete projects, particularly in aligning plans within the framework of the Turkic Investment Fund, the President of Uzbekistan emphasized the importance of establishing a Permanent Council of Turkic States for Economic Partnership. This permanent body, he suggested, could be headed by the Deputy Prime Ministers of the member countries. It was proposed that the Council’s Project Office be located in Tashkent.

The Head of State noted that the Council’s ongoing focus should include the following key issues:

– the creation of a Turkic States Industrial Alliance, aimed at promoting cooperative projects among leading companies in the fields of mechanical engineering, mining, electrical engineering, petrochemistry, pharmaceuticals, light and food industries, and the production of construction materials;

– the implementation of the electronic system "Turkic Green Corridors" to increase mutual trade volumes and harmonize technical regulations;

– the establishment of a Green Transformation consortium for the joint implementation of projects in green energy, green hydrogen, and ammonia production, aimed at attracting advanced technologies, standards, and expertise, as well as promoting the wide use of public-private partnership mechanisms;

– the development of a strategic mineral and raw materials base with a focus on producing value-added products.

At the same time, the President of Uzbekistan emphasized the importance of adopting a practical Cooperation Program based on the principle of "raw materials – processing – science and technology – finished products".

Second, ensuring food security. Given their collective potential, the member states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) can become global leaders in the production and supply of organic agricultural products.

According to FAO analysis, the global organic food market today exceeds $225 billion and is expected to grow by around 10 percent annually in the coming years.

To produce high-quality and competitive organic products, the President of Uzbekistan emphasized the need to strengthen scientific research and crop breeding, as well as industrial cooperation and logistical connectivity.

"In the future, our organic products could enter the global market under a single unified brand. In this regard, we propose establishing an Expert Working Group under the supervision of the agriculture ministers of our countries, selecting the first pilot projects, and moving forward with their implementation", the President of Uzbekistan noted.

Third, strengthening transport connectivity and coordinating policy on the development of international transit corridors.

Supporting the plans for the consistent development of the Middle Corridor, the President of Uzbekistan emphasized the importance of ensuring the route’s competitiveness and creating the most favorable conditions for the business community.

In this context, he emphasized the importance of applying optimal transit tariffs, developing modern transport infrastructure, and implementing digital customs procedures.

If the Middle Corridor is connected with the China – Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan railway, currently under construction, and the prospective Trans-Afghan Corridor, a multi-sectoral strategic network of main transit routes will be established across a vast region.

All these transport-related initiatives are planned to be comprehensively discussed during the International Forum on Multimodal Transport, which will take place in Tashkent on November 12.

Fourth, introducing effective financial instruments for implementing large-scale industrial and infrastructure projects.

The President of Uzbekistan advocated for the expansion of the Turkic Investment Fund’s activities and the adoption of a Strategic Cooperation Program with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and other international and national financial institutions.

Fifth, the development of artificial intelligence, digitalization, and the creative economy, which are becoming a key driver of sustainable development.

To consolidate efforts in these areas, the President of Uzbekistan proposed adopting a roadmap for implementing projects in artificial intelligence and the creative economy.

The Head of State also proposed the initiative to host an International Exhibition of the Turkic World in Uzbekistan.

Sixth, elevating cooperation in science and education to a new level, based on the principle of "Enlightenment Against Ignorance".

It was noted that in 2025-2026, Uzbekistan will chair the Turkic Universities Union, which unites over 100 higher education institutions. The General Assembly of the Union is scheduled to take place next week in Tashkent.

During its chairmanship, Uzbekistan intends to organize the Days of Turkic Science and Innovation.

The President of Uzbekistan also announced that, to strengthen cooperation in the scientific and educational spheres and encourage research by talented scholars, the International University of Turkic States is being established in Uzbekistan. The Head of State proposed developing a Joint Research Support Program based on this institution.

Seventh, preventing the spread of alien and destructive ideologies among youth.

In this regard, it was proposed to adopt an Action Plan to Combat Extremist and Radical Ideologies within the Turkic States.

Uzbekistan will also continue an active and constructive dialogue aimed at combating all forms of Islamophobia.

Additionally, it was noted that an essential step within the Organization would be the development of joint measures for environmental education among young people.

The President of Uzbekistan also drew attention to another significant initiative.

"Next year, we will widely celebrate the 585th anniversary of the great poet and thinker Alisher Navoi and the 885th anniversary of the great Azerbaijani poet Nizami Ganjavi. To further promote their ideas of humanism, friendship, and brotherhood, as well as their invaluable literary heritage, we propose holding an international scientific conference on the legacy of Nizami Ganjavi and Alisher Navoi in the spiritual life of the Turkic World", the Head of State stated.

At the meeting, heads of delegations from foreign countries also delivered their remarks.

Following the summit, a package of joint decisions and documents was adopted, aimed at expanding mutually beneficial cooperation among the member states of the Organization of Turkic States.

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The Uzbek dargah in Istanbul: nearly three centuries of history in light of new research

23.09.2026 70917 12 min.

Research activities are progressing intensively on the international scientific and educational platform of the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan. Among the scientific and popular publications currently being prepared are studies devoted to highlighting the historical and cultural heritage of the peoples of Central Asia abroad and their centuries-old connections. One such publication is a collection of scholarly articles dedicated to the history of the Uzbek dargah — the “Uzbek khanqah” — located in the Sultantepe area of Istanbul’s Üsküdar district.

The book provides a comprehensive account of the history of the dargah, which for nearly two centuries served as an important stopover and place of accommodation for pilgrims from Central Asia travelling to the Hajj via Istanbul, representatives of the Naqshbandi order, poets and writers, intellectuals, as well as compatriots travelling for various purposes.

An important stop on the Hajj journey

The history of the Uzbek dargah cannot be understood separately from Istanbul’s relations with Central Asia during the Ottoman period. At that time, one of the routes taken by pilgrims travelling from Central Asia to Mecca and Medina for the Hajj passed through Istanbul, where they would stay for a certain period to prepare for the next stage of their journey.

Built in 1752–1753, the Uzbek dargah became an important place for such pilgrims. Travellers rested, worshipped, and prepared for their onward journey there. Over time, the role of the dargah expanded, and it became a permanent gathering place for Uzbeks living in Istanbul and representatives of the Naqshbandi order who had arrived from Central Asia.

Historical sources note that the dargah was open not only to Hajj pilgrims but also to scholars and intellectuals. Various discussions, scholarly and educational gatherings, poetry sessions, and cultural events were held there, and guests were received. More broadly, the Uzbek khanqahs in Istanbul served Central Asian pilgrims as places of accommodation, religious education and enlightenment, as well as cultural and social centers.

The Naqshbandi order and the intellectual environment

The Naqshbandi order occupies a special place in the history of the Uzbek dargah. Drawing on archival sources, the book examines the Sufi activities carried out at the dargah, the lives of its sheikhs, and their participation in public and educational life.

The dargah developed not only as a place of dhikr and worship, but also as an intellectual environment where scholars, poets, and religious figures arriving from Central Asia could meet and exchange ideas. Discussions and debates on various subjects were held there, while literary and educational traditions were also continued.

The scope of the dargah’s intellectual environment is also reflected in the written sources preserved there. In particular, an inscription on the veranda of the khanqah, dated 1182 AH — 1769 CE — and written in Old Uzbek in the Arabic script, reflects its status as a Naqshbandi dargah.

New findings on the waqf history of the dargah

One of the book’s important scholarly contributions is its reassessment, based on archival documents, of information concerning the waqf history and legal status of the Uzbek dargah.

The research has clarified certain details previously presented in scholarly literature. In particular, it has been established that the full name of Sheikh Abdullah, who is mentioned as the first sheikh of the dargah, was Sayyid Sheikh Abdullah Akbar Efendi ibn Asadullah Uzbaki.

At the same time, the view that a separate waqf was established for the dargah at the time of its construction in 1752–1753 has been reassessed on the basis of archival documents. According to the research, a separate waqf for the Uzbek dargah was established in 1788 by al-Hajj Khalil Agha ibn Ahmad Efendi, thereby formalizing the legal status of the dargah. The waqf document records the dargah as a Naqshbandi khanqah and states that it initially served dervishes who had come from the Qalandarkhana quarter of Samarkand. The terms of the waqf were later amended to allow other Naqshbandi dervishes to stay overnight at the dargah as well.

These findings make it possible to understand the Uzbek dargah not merely as a religious structure, but as a historical institution that operated within a defined legal, economic, and social framework.

The sheikhs and the dargah’s role in public life

The book also examines archival records concerning the sheikhs of the dargah. These documents reveal not only their role in the life of the dargah itself, but also their place in maintaining ties among Central Asians in Istanbul.

Archival documents record that in 1797, scholars from Transoxiana who sought refuge in the Ottoman Empire — Sheikh Abdurahim, Sheikh Hamza, Sheikh Muhammad Salim, and Sheikh Abdukarim — stayed with their companions at the Uzbek tekke in Üsküdar. There are also documents from the nineteenth century indicating the role of Sheikh Sulayman Efendi of the dargah in supporting individuals who had arrived from Central Asia.

Such documents show that the Uzbek dargah was not merely a stopover for people arriving in Istanbul from Central Asia, but also served as a social and intellectual center that brought them together.

Economic and cultural activities

The study also examines the economic aspects of the dargah’s internal life. In particular, its production processes, account books, and economic activities are analyzed in separate scholarly articles.

The architectural inscriptions, epigraphic texts, musical heritage, and works of art associated with the dargah have also been studied. This makes it possible to examine the history of the Uzbek dargah not merely as the history of a religious institution, but as that of a multifaceted center reflecting the social, cultural, and economic life of its time.

Some archival documents also contain information about a request made by Sheikh Sulayman Efendi of the dargah for typesetting equipment and other materials needed for printing instruction, as well as records concerning a zawiya established in Jeddah for the use of pilgrims from Balkh, Bukhara, Kokand, and Kashgar.

Its role in the national liberation movement

Another important aspect of the history of the Uzbek dargah is connected with its activities during the Turkish national liberation movement.

The studies included in the book also shed light on the role of the dargah during the final years of the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish War of Independence. In particular, they note that in 1919 a hospital for soldiers of the Turkish National Army was established at the dargah.

Thus, a place that had once served as a stopover for Hajj pilgrims and travellers later became a direct witness to the complex social and political processes that shaped the history of the region.

The contemporary significance of ancestral heritage

Today, the Uzbek dargah in Sultantepe holds special significance for our compatriots visiting Türkiye as a unique cultural heritage site preserved from our forebears of the recent past.

The history of the dargah demonstrates that centuries-old cultural and intellectual ties between Uzbekistan and Türkiye had developed long before the modern stage of relations between the two countries. Formed through pilgrims, scholars, sheikhs, poets, and intellectuals who travelled from Central Asia to Istanbul, these connections encompassed not only religious life but also literature, scholarship, art, trade, and social relations.

From this perspective, studying the history of the Uzbek dargah is important not only for tracing the fate of a single historical monument, but also for understanding the long-standing civilizational ties between Central Asia and the Ottoman world.

Studies included in the book

The forthcoming book brings together scholarly articles devoted to various aspects of the history of the Uzbek dargah. These include Hasan Demirtash’s “a diplomatic and structural analysis of the waqf charter of the Üsküdar Uzbek dargah,” Erkan Ovuch’s “Archival information on the sheikhs of the Uzbek dargah,” Serpil Özcan’s “A Stopover for travellers: the Sultantepe Uzbek dargah,” Umar Faruq Jan’s study on production and economic activities at the dargah, and Umar Köçyiğit’s article on the inscriptions of the dargah.

The volume is further enriched by Marwa Kubra Inja’s study of the role of the Uzbek dargah during the national liberation movements, Melih Sadiq Küçüker’s analysis of family archival documents concerning the activities of Sheikh Ata and Sheikh Najmuddin at the dargah, and Süleyman Ergünar’s research on the musical heritage of the Uzbek dargah.

The publication also includes an article by Rustam Jabborov, Scientific Secretary of the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan, entitled “An Uzbek landmark in Istanbul.” The article discusses the historical significance of the dargah, its role in the lives of Hajj pilgrims and representatives of the Naqshbandi order, its ties with Central Asia, and its importance today as a cultural heritage site.

Overall, the studies collected in this book are aimed at reassessing and enriching the history of the Uzbek dargah on the basis of a wide range of sources — including archival documents, waqf deeds, letters, records, and materials from private archives — while also introducing new findings into scholarly circulation.

The preparation of such studies at the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan demonstrates the attention being devoted, within the framework of the Center’s international scientific and educational platform, to the history of Uzbekistan, the heritage of our ancestors, and historical and cultural sources preserved abroad through a new scholarly approach.

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Press Service of the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan