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Elnur Enveroglu

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The informal summit of the heads of state of the Turkic States Organisation (OTS) in Kazakhstan’s ancient city of Turkistan reflected deeper strategic dynamics within Eurasia. It signalled the continued emergence of a new geopolitical centre of gravity stretching from the South Caucasus to Central Asia. It is an area which is increasingly defined by transport connectivity, digital integration, energy security and strategic coordination among Turkic nations.

In the modern international system, regional cooperation platforms are becoming more influential as global power structures fragment and traditional supply chains come under pressure. Against this backdrop, the Turkic States Organisation has evolved from a culturally oriented partnership into a strategic Eurasian platform with growing political and economic significance.

The pace of this transformation has accelerated notably under Azerbaijan’s leadership.

President Ilham Aliyev’s latest visit to Kazakhstan, i.e. his eighth in the past five years, alongside President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s six visits to Azerbaijan, illustrates the remarkable intensity of bilateral engagement between Baku and Astana. Four years ago, the two countries formally elevated relations to the level of allied partnership through a Joint Declaration that envisaged deep political, economic and transport-logistics integration.

The symbolism of Turkistan itself is difficult to overlook. After the liberation of Azerbaijan’s territories in 2020, the first sister city partnership established by Shusha was with Turkistan, underscoring the growing narrative of shared historical identity and civilisational continuity across the Turkic world.

Still, the significance of the OTS today extends far beyond cultural symbolism.

President Aliyev has repeatedly argued that the Turkic world must become one of the influential geopolitical centres of the 21st century. Such a vision requires more than political solidarity, including the integration of economic infrastructure, transport corridors, energy systems and digital technologies across a vast Eurasian geography. And most importantly, this strategic ambition increasingly aligns with wider global trends.

As geopolitical tensions reshape global trade routes, the Middle Corridor, connecting China and Central Asia to Europe via the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus and Türkiye, has become one of the most strategically important transit networks in Eurasia. Russia’s confrontation with the West, instability in the Red Sea and the growing demand for diversified logistics routes have dramatically increased the corridor’s geopolitical relevance.

In this context, Azerbaijan occupies a pivotal position. Baku has spent more than two decades investing in transport and logistics infrastructure designed precisely for this geopolitical moment. Projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, the Port of Baku and expanded Caspian transit capabilities are now becoming central pillars of East-West connectivity.

The prospective Zangazur Corridor could further transform the strategic landscape. If fully realised, it would strengthen the Middle Corridor by creating uninterrupted transport access linking mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan and Türkiye, while simultaneously increasing the broader connectivity potential of the Turkic world.

Moreover, the OTS’s growing emphasis on practical integration is equally evident in the digital sphere. One of the organisation’s most strategically significant projects is the “Digital Silk Road” initiative between Europe and Asia. Within this framework, the Trans-Caspian fibre-optic cable line between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan is expected to become operational in the coming months. The project represents far more than telecommunications infrastructure. It is part of a broader struggle over digital sovereignty, technological resilience and control over Eurasian data routes.

Besides, the creation of secure trans-Caspian digital networks could substantially enhance the strategic autonomy of the Turkic states, especially in an era where geopolitical competition increasingly extends into cyberspace and digital infrastructure. Azerbaijan has been particularly active in this domain. Baku now views digital sovereignty and the transition towards an innovation-driven economy as strategic national priorities. The establishment of the Digital Development Council, the National Artificial Intelligence Centre and the Artificial Intelligence Academy, alongside the adoption of a national AI strategy, demonstrates the scale of this ambition.

Notably, Azerbaijan has already achieved 100 per cent nationwide broadband internet coverage, one of the highest rates in the region. Such infrastructure is increasingly viewed not merely as an economic asset, but as an instrument of national resilience and geopolitical competitiveness.

Artificial intelligence cooperation is also emerging as a new dimension of Turkic integration. Member states are placing growing emphasis on the responsible and secure use of AI technologies, while seeking mechanisms to prevent their misuse for illegal or destabilising purposes. This reflects a broader recognition that future geopolitical influence will increasingly depend not only on energy resources and transport routes, but also on technological capabilities and regulatory coordination.

The evolution of the OTS itself illustrates how profoundly the organisation has changed since its founding.

The roots of the organisation trace back to the Nakhchivan Agreement signed on October 3, 2009, by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Initially established as the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States, the institution gradually expanded its mechanisms of coordination before officially becoming the Organisation of the Turkic States at the Istanbul summit in 2021.

What began primarily as a platform based on common linguistic and cultural identity is now evolving into a multidimensional strategic bloc encompassing energy cooperation, transport integration, security coordination, digital transformation and economic policy alignment.

The informal summit mechanism itself reflects this transformation. The first informal OTS summit was initiated by Azerbaijan in Shusha in 2024, where the adoption of the Karabakh Declaration signalled growing political solidarity and strategic coordination among member states, and the current summit in Turkistan continues that trajectory.

Importantly, the organisation’s ambitions are not limited to state-level diplomacy alone. Increasing attention is being devoted to humanitarian cooperation, educational exchanges, media integration and the construction of a shared information space across the Turkic world. These efforts are designed to reinforce long-term societal cohesion alongside geopolitical cooperation.

Upcoming events in Baku will further underline Azerbaijan’s central role within this integration process. The OTS’s high-level urban development dialogue within the framework of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), as well as the Turkic World Week dedicated to the centenary of the First Turkology Congress, highlight Baku’s growing role as a diplomatic and intellectual hub of the Turkic world.

Ultimately, the rise of the Turkic States Organisation reflects broader shifts underway across Eurasia.

The international system is becoming increasingly multipolar, supply chains are fragmenting, energy security concerns are intensifying, and regional powers are seeking new mechanisms for strategic coordination. In this changing environment, the Turkic world is attempting to transform itself from a community linked mainly by shared heritage into a coherent geopolitical actor with expanding influence over trade, connectivity, energy and digital infrastructure.

Whether the OTS can fully realise this ambition will depend on the depth of institutional integration and the ability of member states to maintain strategic coherence amid growing global competition.

But one reality is already becoming increasingly clear: the Turkic world is no longer operating solely on the margins of Eurasian geopolitics. It is steadily becoming one of its defining centres.