BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 19. Our meeting today is also aimed at jointly defining our focus areas, shared initiatives, and key messages for 2026, Fatma Meriç Yılmaz, President of the Turkish Red Crescent, said at a meeting of Red Crescent Network leaders from the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Baku, Trend reports.
She emphasized the need to prioritize areas that will strengthen regional potential.
“We discussed this in 2025 as well. Key areas where our network can have a real impact include disaster preparedness and response, development of volunteer systems, bringing together our volunteers, especially youth, and establishing mutual support mechanisms in blood services. In this context, I believe it is very important to focus on more practical and results-oriented joint initiatives for 2026,” Yılmaz said.
She also noted that it is customary for the country hosting the OTS Heads of State Summit to assume the organization’s chairmanship. “I think it is appropriate to continue this practice within to ensure both harmony and the parallel implementation of activities,” she said.
Yılmaz proposed a change to the Network’s rules of procedure: “Under the current rules, the term chairmanship rotates every two years. I propose that going forward, it be rotated annually,” Yılmaz added.