Turkic security coordination Khankendi emerges as a regional hub

Another international conference has taken place in Khankendi, this time with a high-profile agenda—the role of intelligence agencies in securing international transport routes. The forum brought together heads of the relevant agencies from Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, alongside an honorary guest from Hungary, as part of the 27th plenary session of the Conference of the Special Service Agencies of the Turkic States.

In his address to the participants, President Ilham Aliyev stressed that the world faces a range of challenges posing serious threats to both international and regional security. He highlighted the urgent need to strengthen cooperation among the intelligence services of the Turkic Council to safeguard the extensive transport network linking Europe and Asia through their countries.

Before diving into the other details shared by the president, it is useful to reflect on his statements from recent years. Doing so provides context and shows how the priorities outlined ahead of the conference naturally build on President Aliyev’s previous messages.

As early as 2019, the head of state, in his address at the 7th Summit of Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States—where he proposed elevating this structure to the level of an organisation, naming it the Organization of Turkic States (OTS)—and in his remarks to the participants of the 27th Conference of the Special Service Agencies of the Turkic States, emphasised that cooperation in this field is crucial for strengthening the security of the countries and ensuring regional stability.

In 2022, the country’s leader noted that without security and sufficient economic capacity, it would be impossible to fully operationalise the Middle Corridor, which is intended to benefit all countries in the region.

In 2023, at the 5th Consultative Meeting of Heads of Central Asian States, identifying Central Asia and Azerbaijan as a single historical, cultural, and geographical region of strategic importance in global politics, Ilham Aliyev highlighted the significance of the transport and logistics sector for the countries. At the same time, he identified Azerbaijan as a reliable transit country for Central Asian states on their way to the markets of Türkiye and Europe.

In 2024, at the meeting of the heads of Central Asian states and Azerbaijan, President Aliyev expanded on this topic, emphasising the urgent need to strengthen cooperation between the countries in defence and security amid growing global threats.

In the same year, the “Karabakh Declaration” of the informal OTS summit in Shusha demonstrated the Turkic world’s commitment not only to the principles of peace, stability, development, and prosperity in the region and globally, but also to prioritising security.

Two months ago, the head of state stated that, thanks to Azerbaijan’s strategic vision and tireless efforts, the Middle Corridor has become a reality. Its full operationalisation was made possible, in part, due to the political stability and security prevailing in Azerbaijan.

Thus, President Aliyev’s statement on the eve of the conference clearly demonstrated the steady progress of Azerbaijan and other OTS member states in strengthening cooperation, including in the field of security. Emphasising that OTS countries today play a leading role in the development of the East–West and North–South corridors, the country’s leader identified transport and communication routes as a significant foundation for closer integration of Turkic states, highlighting, alongside other areas, the domains of defence and security.

Against this backdrop, he moved on to the issue of opening the Zangezur Corridor, which envisages, among other things, the establishment of unhindered connections between brotherly countries. In this context, the head of state noted that “the growing role of our transport hubs also makes them targets for destructive forces,” including cyber threats aimed at paralysing the management system of critical transport infrastructure.

At the same time, attempts at external interference are emerging, aimed at preventing the implementation of major regional projects. Therefore, a key priority is strengthening cooperation between intelligence services, including the exchange of critical information, which will ensure sustainable economic development and long-term stability for the brotherly states.

Thus, President Ilham Aliyev, who consistently defines the protection of the country’s national interests as a fundamental factor of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy, in his address on November 14 also highlighted a broader global context—the protection of the interests of the OTS as a whole. This represents a continuation of his stance expressed at the 12th OTS Summit, where he emphasised that progress is impossible without security and stressed the need for broad cooperation among the countries in military, defence, and other security-related fields.

Therefore, in his address, the head of state called on the leaders of the intelligence services of the brotherly nations to strengthen cooperation in order to safeguard the extensive transport routes traversing their territories.

In this context, Ali Naghiyev, Head of Azerbaijan’s State Security Service (SSS), who delivered the president’s remarks, highlighted attempts by certain disruptive actors to obstruct the implementation of the “Trump Route,” a key segment of the Middle Corridor connecting the Far East to Europe. He stressed that ensuring reliable security along this route is therefore a top priority.