Turkey's membership strengthens Shanghai group

Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Dmitri Mezentsev has stated that "dialogue partners" status given to Turkey would make the organization more influential. Security Council Secretaries of SCO member states gathered in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek on Monday. Security Council Secretaries of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China and Russia attended the 8th meeting of Secretaries of Security Councils of SCO member states together with Secretary General of SCO Dmitri Mezentsev and President of the Regional Counter-Terrorism Structure (RCTS) of SCO Zhang Xinfeng.      

Mezentsev reminded that Turkey was given the status of "dialogue partners" in Almaty, Kazakhstan.      

Mezentsev stated that Turkey would make the organization more influential and said,"The SCO family grew with the addition of Turkey. Turkey will be able to play a major role in the organization with its international experience."      

Busurmankul Tabaldiyev, Secretary of Security Council of Kyrgyzstan, delivered a speech at the opening and indicated that one of the major issues of the SCO was security.      

"New problems could arise following the withdrawal of international coalition forces from Afghanistan in 2014," Tabaldiyev said.