Ömer Kocaman

Versions of names:
Turkey

Since September 2015, Ömer Kocaman from Turkey has served as the deputy secretary general of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). An economic diplomat with strong connections to Russia, Kocaman lived in Moscow from 2002 to 2004 as an assistant to the secretary general of the Russian-Turkish Businessmen Union while studying at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). Upon returning to Turkey, he worked for over ten years at the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), which was headed by Mehmet Süreyya Er, before joining the OTS. During Azerbaijan’s September 2024 snap parliamentary election, Kocaman led the OTS observation mission. Earlier, he also observed the November 2015 Azerbaijani parliamentary election.

Corresponding elections

Parliamentary Election Azerbaijan 2024
legitimate
In Azerbaijan's September 1, 2024, snap parliamentary election, the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, led by President Ilham Aliyev, narrowly maintained its majority with 68 out of 125 seats. Held early to avoid conflicting with COP29 in Baku, the election saw limited opposition with 44 seats won by "independents" broadly aligned with the regime. Voting extended to Nagorno-Karabakh for the first time since 1994, underscoring Azerbaijan's control of the region. Despite a peaceful election day, international observers highlighted a lack of democratic standards, with low voter turnout (37%) and substantial restrictions on political freedoms, media access, and independent observation. The EPDE and OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) criticized the election’s credibility, noting extensive repression of opposition and the presence of fake observers.

Missions