OTS to establish defence industry cooperation platform, announces 2025 meetings

The Organization of Turkic States (OTS) is set to expand its defence and security cooperation with the establishment of a Defence Industry Cooperation Platform, Deputy Secretary General Ömer Kocaman announced. 

He also confirmed that the fourth meeting of the Chairmen of the National Security Councils of OTS member states and a meeting of defence ministers from the organization will be held in 2025.

Speaking to local media, Kocaman emphasized the significance of defence collaboration among member states, Caliber.Az reports.

“Our multilateral ties in the military, defence industry, defence, and security fields are gradually expanding. Within this framework, we have held three meetings of the chairmen of the National Security Council of the OTS. The fourth meeting will be organized in September this year in Bishkek. This year we also plan to hold a meeting of defense ministers of the OTS member countries,” he said.

He further elaborated on the creation of the Defence Industry Cooperation Platform, which aims to deepen partnerships in the defence sector:

“At the International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF), which will be held this year in Istanbul, we will gather representatives of the main enterprises in the defence industry.”

The Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was founded in 2009 in the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan as an intergovernmental entity dedicated to fostering comprehensive cooperation among Turkic-speaking nations. The member states of the OTS include Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan. The idea was first proposed by former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2006 and materialized on October 3, 2009, in Nakhchivan, with its General Secretariat based in Istanbul.

Hungary, Northern Cyprus, and Turkmenistan hold observer status within the organization. During the 8th summit held in Istanbul in 2021, the entity officially rebranded itself as the Organization of Turkic States.

The OTS member countries have a combined population exceeding 173 million, with their collective GDP amounting to $1.5 trillion. Their total trade turnover is estimated at $1.2 trillion. The economic impact of the organization extends globally, representing 2.2% of the world's population, 2.4% of total global trade turnover, and 1.6% of the global GDP.

Trade relations within the OTS are steadily growing, with Azerbaijan’s trade turnover with Turkic states increasing by 70% compared to the previous year, rising from $5.3 billion to $7.17 billion. Projections suggest that Azerbaijan's trade volume with these states is expected to reach $15 billion in the coming years.

By Tamilla Hasanova