President Pia Kauma arriving at the Turkish Grand National Assembly in Ankara on 4 February 2025ANKARA, 6 February 2025 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) President Pia Kauma (Finland) conducted an official visit to Türkiye this week in preparation for the 2025 OSCE PA Autumn Meeting in Istanbul. During her visit, President Kauma met with the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly Numan Kurtulmuş, Vice-President Cevdet Yılmaz, Fuat Oktay, Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, Levent Gümrükçü, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Turkish Delegation to the OSCE PA headed by Selami Altınok.
President Kauma expressed appreciation for Türkiye’s strong engagement in the OSCE PA, highlighting its importance for regional security and encouraged Türkiye to continue to take a proactive role in seeking innovative solutions to mitigate and resolve conflicts within the OSCE region. Discussions focused on Türkiye’s role in the OSCE, its views on developments in Ukraine, the South Caucasus, and the Middle East, as well as its humanitarian leadership in hosting over 3 million Syrian refugees. The ongoing return of refugees to Syria and post-war reconstruction efforts were also key topics of discussion.
Türkiye’s long-standing commitment to the OSCE PA was recognized, including through the leadership of Kamil Aydin, Chair of the OSCE PA Committee on Countering Terrorism (CCT). President Kauma commended Türkiye’s leadership in counterterrorism efforts, emphasizing the need for continued co-operation on the parliamentary level in addressing regional security challenges.
In preparation for the OSCE PA Autumn Meeting in Istanbul, discussions covered key topics to be addressed at the Mediterranean Forum, including migration, regional security, and co-operation with OSCE partner countries. President Kauma stressed the importance of ensuring broad participation from Mediterranean partners, including Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia.
The 2025 OSCE PA Autumn Meeting in Istanbul, as well as its Mediterranean Forum, will serve as a vital platform for dialogue among OSCE participating states, tackling key issues such as regional security, migration, and the role of international organizations in addressing global challenges.
