The Turkic world at the heart of Azerbaijan Gabala hosts the 12th OTS Summit

The Gabala International Airport hosted high-level guests yesterday and today. On 7 October, the leaders of member and observer states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) gathered for the 12th OTS Summit to review achievements of the past period and outline strategic directions for regional development in the coming years.

The summit focused on security issues and the strengthening of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor—a crucial artery connecting Europe and Asia. Under the central theme of “Regional Peace and Security,” the summit addressed efforts to reinforce the institutional structure of the OTS and culminated in the signing of the Gabala Declaration.

On the eve of the summit in Gabala, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held a series of bilateral meetings with arriving high-level guests, including Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, whose chairmanship of the organization concluded today; Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán; President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Ersin Tatar; OTS Council of Elders Chairman Binali Yıldırım; and the organization’s Secretary-General Kubanychbek Omuraliev.

This morning, the OTS Council of Foreign Ministers convened. In his address, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov highlighted the strategic geographic position of the Turkic states, which facilitates the creation of natural transport, logistics, and transit routes between Europe and Asia. “The organization has enormous potential in this area. This route is also an integral part of the Middle Corridor. The announcement at the Washington summit of the TRIPP route, which will ensure seamless movement between western Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan via the Zangezur corridor, is an important step towards diversifying communications in our region,” the minister said.

Shortly thereafter, the heads of state convened, where Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev delivered a welcoming address. Highlighting the critical importance for Turkic countries of factors such as security, transport and communications, hydrocarbon exports, and green energy, President Aliyev made two significant proposals: to hold joint military exercises of OTS member states in Azerbaijan in 2026 and to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first Turkology Congress, held in Baku in 1926.

These events, without a doubt, will inject new momentum into the integration processes within the Turkic world, thanks not only to their substantive content but also, to a considerable extent, their symbolic and emotional significance.

President Aliyev also noted the growing international stature of the OTS. “Today, the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) has evolved from merely a platform for cooperation into one of the significant geopolitical centers,” he said.

Indeed, the OTS has been steadily developing since its inception. The idea of creating the organization was actively discussed from the 1990s, and on October 3, 2009 in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan signed the Agreement on the Establishment of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States (the Turkic Council), which was later transformed into the OTS. In 2019, Uzbekistan was admitted to the Turkic Council as a full member. Since late 2018, Hungary has held observer status in the organization. Notably, in this capacity, Hungary hosted an informal summit of OTS heads of state in 2025.

Hungary’s interest in the organization is a phenomenon worthy of separate analysis. On one hand, it is linked to the Turkic element in the ethnogenesis of the Hungarian people, and on the other, to a significant extent, it reflects an understanding of the growing role that Turkic states are expected to play in the global economy and politics.

On 12 November 2021, at the 8th Summit of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States in Istanbul, the Turkic Council was renamed the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), marking a transition to a new political and economic status aimed at playing a more active role both in integration among Turkic states and on the international stage. At the same summit, Turkmenistan was admitted to the OTS as an observer.

A key strategic document adopted at the meeting was the “Turkic World Vision–2040,” which outlined long-term priorities such as strengthening trust and political solidarity, developing economic and technical cooperation, preserving cultural heritage, creating a unified transport space, and coordinating in the field of security.

On March 16, 2023, the Turkic Investment Fund was established, and on November 6, 2024, a partnership agreement on the digital economy was signed, covering e-commerce as well. On November 21, 2024, the Union of Associations of International Road Carriers of Turkic States was created.

It can be confidently stated that, continuing the traditions of previous cooperation within the Organization of Turkic States, the OTS summit in Gabala will mark an important milestone in strengthening ties among member states. In this context, the Gabala Declaration signed today is expected to carry particular significance. As Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov noted, it reconfirms the commitment to strengthening solidarity within the Turkic world, enhancing mutual trust, and upholding the principles of sovereignty, independence, and statehood.