AKIPRESS.COM - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has called for a unified alphabet among Turkic states to strengthen regional cooperation, Hurriyet reported.

"In order to prevent global power rivalry from spilling over into our geography, we must tighten our ranks and use our capabilities for our common prosperity," Fidan said at an Organization of Turkic States (OTS) summit in Azerbaijan's Susha city on July 6.

The bloc includes Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Türkiye.

"We must establish alphabet unity as soon as possible," Fidan urged. While Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan use the Latin alphabet, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan continue to use the Cyrillic script.

The Turkish top diplomat called for a stronger institutional framework within the OTS to support these efforts.

"We need to build the necessary covenant basis to further our cooperation in areas such as connectivity, energy, finance, trade, defense industry and new technologies," he added.

Fidan emphasized the need to support Turkish cultural and identity initiatives globally.