UZBEKISTAN AND TURKEY: CONVERGING PATHS IN YOUTH POLICY

Bilateral relations between Uzbekistan and Turkey have been gradually expanding in recent years, covering various fields. Within the framework of this cooperation, formed on the basis of the initiatives of the leaders of the two countries, along with economic, trade, cultural, and humanitarian directions, youth issues have also emerged on the agenda as a priority direction. This process shows that the youth issue is moving beyond the scope of internal social measures and becoming an important component of interstate relations.

The systematic discussion of youth policy issues within interstate cooperation and their strengthening with practical initiatives indicate the existence of an institutional approach to this direction. At the same time, initiatives in youth exchange, joint forums, education, and innovation are being formed as a direction implemented based on clear plans and mechanisms. The youth issue is gradually being strengthened in bilateral relations, becoming an element of sustainable cooperation.
In this sense, the third festival of the Youth of the Turkic Council, initially held on December 3–6, 2019, in Istanbul, can be highlighted. The festival was organized within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States, and a total of about 100 active young people from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Hungary, and Northern Cyprus participated alongside Uzbekistan and Turkey.
The discussion of youth policy at the institutional level was further strengthened by the fifth meeting of the Ministers of Youth and Sports of the member countries of the Organization of Turkic States, held on September 20, 2021, in Tashkent. At the meeting hosted by Uzbekistan, agreements were reached on coordinating youth exchange programs, youth platforms, and joint events, particularly on holding a multilateral youth exchange program in Turkey in 2022.
For example, these agreements moved to a practical stage on August 22–27, 2022. During these days, 10 young people from Uzbekistan participated in the first multilateral youth exchange program held in the cities of Istanbul and Konya. The program was aimed at establishing direct dialogue, experience exchange, and social ties among youth. Cooperation continued in this manner in subsequent years. On August 14–18, 2023, 20 young people from Turkey’s Hatay province came to the Samarkand, Bukhara, Khorezm, and Tashkent regions, and a roundtable discussion was held on the topic "Solidarity of the Youth of Uzbekistan and Turkey" in the areas of youth policy, culture, volunteering, and climate change. And on August 19–25, 2024, at the invitation of the Turkish side, 22 young people from Uzbekistan participated in a youth exchange program in the cities of Istanbul, Bursa, and Çanakkale.
Youth cooperation has also been strengthened through large-scale multilateral events. Representatives of Uzbekistan and Turkey actively participated in the fourth Young Leaders Forum of the Organization of Turkic States, held on June 3–4, 2022, in Bukhara. Also, in 2024, within the framework of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Uzbekistan and Turkey, together with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Hungary, signed an international strategy for involving children and youth in the climate agenda for 2024–2030. In short, this document defined a specific direction aimed at linking youth policy with sustainable development issues.
The above facts show that cooperation in the youth sphere between Uzbekistan and Turkey is developing consistently, in a coordinated manner, and relying on clear mechanisms. Work with youth is manifesting as a direction of sustainable cooperation that is being formed gradually with progressive improvement.
At the same time, the institutional level of cooperation on youth policy has further increased in recent years. Within the framework of the 9th meeting of Ministers on Youth and Sports Issues of the member states of the Organization of Turkic States, held on October 16–17, 2025, in Tashkent, it was determined that the Uzbekistan side would host the "Youth Capital of the Turkic World" project in 2026. Accordingly, this year the city of Khiva has received the status of Youth Capital of the Turkic World, and within the project, it is planned to hold the opening ceremony of the capital, an international youth festival, a "Young Leaders and Entrepreneurs Forum," and closing events. Furthermore, in order to strengthen interregional ties within the framework of youth policy, it is envisaged to designate the cities of Samarkand and Bukhara as sister youth cities with the Turkish cities of Antalya and Ordu.
Cooperation on youth between the two countries is also being enriched with special practical content in the direction of technology and innovation. Such cooperation allows for directly linking youth policy with human capital. A delegation from the Youth Affairs Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan participated in the "Teknofest Azerbaijan" festival held on May 26–29, 2022, in the capital of Azerbaijan. The festival was organized by the Turkey Technology Team Foundation and the Ministry of Industry and Technology of Turkey and was aimed at supporting technological projects and innovative developments among youth. This participation created an important experience ground for expanding practical cooperation between Uzbekistan and Turkey on attracting youth to the technological environment.
Cooperation in the technology direction rose to a new level at the "Teknofest" aerospace and technology festival held on August 30 – September 4, 2022, in the Turkish city of Samsun. At this festival, the delegation of Uzbekistan participated with a national pavilion for the first time. More than 600,000 young people, engineers, and inventors from 15 countries participated in the festival. In the pavilion with an area of 300 square meters allocated for Uzbekistan, 20 innovative projects and developments created by youth were demonstrated.
Following this, on December 12–17, 2022, the "Uzbekistan – Turkey Youth Business Forum" was organized for the first time in Istanbul. More than 200 young entrepreneurs operating in various fields from the two countries, including 40 young people from Uzbekistan, participated in the forum. "Turkey Innovation Week" was held within the forum, and young entrepreneurs got acquainted with advanced innovative projects and technological solutions. At the end of the event, cooperation agreements amounting to 351,000 US dollars were signed.
An important aspect is that cooperation in the areas of youth issues and technology was also strengthened by institutional foundations. In 2025, a memorandum was signed in Tashkent between the Youth Affairs Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Turkey Technology Team Foundation, and the Project Office of the "5 Initiatives of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan" on the establishment of the "Bilim Tashkent" center. This center is envisaged as infrastructure aimed at developing technological knowledge and skills for youth.
Cooperation in the youth direction between Uzbekistan and Turkey is not limited only to exchanges and technological initiatives but is also developing in humanitarian and volunteer directions. In May–June 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, aid boxes consisting of more than 1,000 food products were distributed to all regions of the republic in cooperation with the representative office of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) in Uzbekistan. This initiative practically showed the link between youth and humanitarian cooperation, demonstrating that youth structures play an important role in supporting social stability in emergency situations.
Cooperation in the volunteering direction continued in a specific programmatic format in 2022. On August 1–5, 2022, a training program on the topic "Preparing Youth for Volunteering" was held in Istanbul for the youth of the member countries of the Organization of Turkic States, in which 9 young volunteers from Uzbekistan participated. The training focused on organizing volunteer activities based on a systematic approach, strengthening youth participation in crisis situations, and exchanging experience. Humanitarian cooperation was once again demonstrated in practice during the process of eliminating the consequences of the strong earthquake that occurred in the southeastern regions of Turkey in 2023. Humanitarian and volunteer directions serve as an important platform for strengthening ties between youth, maintaining mutual trust, and expanding practical cooperation.
Cooperation in the youth direction between Uzbekistan and Turkey has turned into a sustainable cooperation system. Youth exchange, institutional dialogue, initiatives in technology and innovation, and humanitarian activities are being carried out in mutual harmony. This situation is shaping youth issues as an important mechanism serving to develop human capital and strengthen inter-societal ties. These directions of cooperation are being strengthened through specific programs and mechanisms and are being enriched with new forms over time.
In conclusion, cooperation in the youth direction between Uzbekistan and Turkey has formed as a direction adapted to today’s needs, relying on concrete practical experience, and having the potential for future development. This cooperation serves as an important platform for testing modern approaches to working with youth and implementing them into wider practice.