THE FIRST COLLECTION ON THE ELECTORAL SYSTEMS OF 

THE OTS MEMBER STATES HAS BEEN PRESENTED

In Astana, on the eve of the first elections of deputies of the Kurultai, the regular Working Meeting of the Advisory Platform of the Central Election Authorities of the Member States of the Organization of Turkic States was held.

Opening the meeting, Nurlan Abdirov, Chairman of the Advisory Platform of the Central Election Authorities of the OTS Member States and Chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan, briefed the participants on the key provisions of the ongoing constitutional reform and highlighted the historic significance of the upcoming elections.

He emphasized that the formation of the new Kurultai marks the beginning of the work of an updated system of representative government and represents an important stage in implementing the new constitutional model aimed at further developing state institutions while taking into account the interests of citizens.

One of the key highlights of the meeting was the presentation of the collection “Electoral Systems of the Member States of the Organization of Turkic States” in English. The decision to prepare the publication was made at the Working Meeting of the Advisory Platform held on November 28, 2025, in Bishkek.

“This unique publication presents materials on the specific features of national electoral models, the legal regulation of the electoral process, and the activities of electoral authorities in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan. I am confident that this publication will serve as a practical tool for further professional cooperation, expanding academic exchange, and sharing national experiences, while also contributing to the development of modern approaches to improving electoral systems,” Nurlan Abdirov noted.

During the meeting, the heads of the central electoral authorities of the OTS Member States delivered presentations, sharing their national experience in organizing electoral processes.

The Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan, Mazahir Panahov, expressed his gratitude to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, for such an important and timely initiative to establish the Advisory Platform of the Central Election Authorities of the Member States of the Organization of Turkic States. 

Emphasizing the importance of the collection, Tynchtyk Shainazarov, Head of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda of the Kyrgyz Republic, highlighted its potential. He noted that they view the publication not as a final result, but as a foundation for further professional dialogue, the exchange of experience, and joint study of current trends in the development of electoral processes. 

In turn, Chairman of the Supreme Election Council of Türkiye Serdar Mutta emphasized that they view the work being carried out constructively, particularly highlighting the activities of the Working Group under the Advisory Platform on the impact of deepfakes on the electoral process.

Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Uzbekistan Zainiddin Nizamkhodjaev highlighted such strengths of the presented collection as its comprehensive approach, diversity of authors, relevance of the topics, and practical significance.

It was noted that the transformations taking place in Kazakhstan and the results achieved have generated a broad response across the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). In this context, cooperation among electoral authorities is of particular importance, as it facilitates the exchange of experience, broadens professional dialogue, and promotes the development of modern approaches to the conduct of elections.

Particular attention was paid to countering deepfakes during the electoral period. Lyazzat Suyindik, Member of the Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan and Head of the Working Group under the Advisory Platform of the Central Election Authorities of the OTS Member States on the Impact of Deepfakes on the Electoral Process, presented the draft “Principles for Preventing and Minimizing Risks Associated with the Use of Deepfakes in the Electoral Sphere.”

The document was prepared following joint work by representatives of the central election authorities of the OTS Member States and comprises eight principles outlining key approaches to ensuring the reliability of electoral information, transparency in the use of artificial intelligence, protection of individual rights, public awareness, and cooperation among competent authorities.

The presented publication and the draft Principles became tangible outcomes of efforts aimed at the mutual study of electoral practices, joint responses to emerging technological challenges, and further improvement of electoral processes, taking into account the national specificities of each state.

“Technological development requires electoral bodies not only to have new response tools, but also to adopt coordinated approaches to protecting the information environment surrounding elections. Artificial intelligence can distort a person’s voice, appearance, or statements within minutes. But it must not distort facts. By safeguarding the reliability of information, we safeguard citizens’ trust in elections,” emphasized Lyazzat Suyindik, underscoring the relevance of the document.

It should be noted that work on the draft began in April 2026 within the framework of the first meeting of the Working Group. Representatives of the participating states exchanged practical experience and developed common guidelines that can be applied taking into account national legislation and the mandates of the respective authorities.

During the meeting, Deputy Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States Nuru Guliyev noted that the development of artificial intelligence requires electoral bodies to move from responding to individual cases toward systematic joint efforts.

“Today, artificial intelligence is changing not only the ways information is disseminated, but also the nature of the challenges faced by electoral systems. Deepfakes can influence perceptions of candidates and public processes and, consequently, directly affect trust in elections. Therefore, it is fundamentally important for us not to limit ourselves to responding to threats that have already emerged, but to build a system for their early detection, prompt information exchange, and coordinated response. The establishment of the Working Group under the Advisory Platform was an important step in this direction. By bringing together national experience, we can develop common professional approaches to countering emerging information threats while maintaining the fundamental balance between information security, freedom of expression, and citizens’ right to reliable information,” Nuru Guliyev concluded.

In this regard, Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan Nurlan Abdirov called on the members of the Working Group to continue exchanging practical approaches and best practices. He invited participants to submit their proposals and initiatives for further development of the document, including in light of national experience and emerging technological challenges.

In turn, Chairman of the Central Election Commission of Uzbekistan Zainiddin Nizamkhodjaev presented a number of proposals aimed at further enhancing the effectiveness of efforts to counter deepfakes during the electoral period. These include developing international recommendations and standards within the Organization of Turkic States for detecting and preventing the use of deepfakes in elections; conducting specialized seminars and training sessions for electoral officials; engaging with technology companies and AI experts; and establishing a platform for information exchange and coordination of actions when deepfakes are detected.

For reference. The initiative to establish the Advisory Platform of the Central Election Authorities of the Member States of the Organization of Turkic States was put forward by President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during the 10th Anniversary Summit of the OTS, held on November 3, 2023, in Astana.

The proposal to establish the Advisory Platform received the unanimous support of the heads of the Turkic states and was reflected in the Bishkek Declaration of the 11th OTS Summit, adopted on November 6, 2024.

It should be recalled that during the First meeting of the Consultative Platform, held in Turkistan in May 2025, the Regulation on the Platform was signed. Since May 2025, the Republic of Kazakhstan has held the chairmanship of the Advisory Platform of the Central Election Authorities of the OTS Member States for a two-year period.