The Turkic Model of Regional Integration in Central Asia: Assessing the Role of the Organisation of Turkic States
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61841/x9c40z17Keywords:
Regional Cooperation, Central Asia, Türkiye, Organisation of Turkic States, Middle Corridor, GeopoliticsAbstract
Regional integration efforts bear a mixed record in post-Soviet Central Asia. Several regional cooperation mechanisms have emerged in the last three decades, some from within the region but mostly from outside it. In fact, most regional cooperation frameworks are driven by major external powers, specifically Russia and China, including the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). This trend of externally driven regional cooperation largely results from the Central Asian states’ limited state capacities, historical patterns of political and economic dependencies, and the region's landlocked nature, which curtails regional agency. A relatively recent model of an externally driven regional integration format is the Organisation of Turkic States. Established in 2009 as the Council of Turkic Speaking States, the OTS is driven by Türkiye’s ambitious Central Asia policy. It has emerged as a Turkic model of regional integration, leveraging the Turkic countries’ ethno-linguistic and socio-cultural heritage, and accelerating cooperation in cultural, economic and political spheres. This article interrogates the rise of Turkic cooperation in Central Asia and questions the extent of the Organisation of Turkic States' role as a distinct actor in regional Eurasian geopolitics. It raises important questions about the future of the OTS and Central Asian regionalism in the light of disruptive regional developments, such as the Russia-Ukraine war and China’s economic rise, and probes the response of regional major powers, such as Russia and China, to expanding Turkic cooperation.
Downloads
References
Acar, Y. (2024). A Strategic Opportunity for the Organization of Turkic States Amid Great Power Competition. The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2024/10/a-strategic-opportunity-for-the-organization-of-turkic-states-amid-great-power-competition/
Address of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, to the People of Kazakhstan, March 1, 2006. (2006). Office of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. https://www.akorda.kz/en/addresses/addresses_of_president/address-of-the-president-of-the-republic-of-kazakhstan-nursultan-nazarbayev-to-the-people-of-kazakhstan-march-1-2006
Akcay, N. (2022). Does the Organization of Turkic States Worry China and Russia? The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2022/11/does-the-organization-of-turkic-states-worry-china-and-russia/
Alaranta, T., & Silvan, K. (2022). Turkey in Central Asia: Possibilities and limits of a greater role. Finnish Institute of International Affairs, Helsinki. https://fiia.fi/en/publication/turkey-in-central-asia
Amreyev, B. (2022). Towards the stronger, better integrated and more united Turkic World. https://www.uzbekembassy.in/towards-the-stronger-better-integrated-and-more-united-turkic-world/
Areas of Cooperation, Economic Cooperation. (n.d.). Organization of Turkic States . https://www.turkicstates.org/en/areas-of-cooperation-detail/2-economic-cooperation
Atayev, T. (2024). OTS: A unified Turkic family as a geopolitical reality. AZEMEDIA. https://aze.media/ots-a-unified-turkic-family-as-a-geopolitical-reality/
AZERBAIJAN PUBLISHES FULL TEXT OF SHUSHA DECLARATION ON ALLIED RELATIONS. (2021). Center for Eurasian Studies, Ankara. https://avim.org.tr/en/Bulten/AZERBAIJAN-PUBLISHES-FULL-TEXT-OF-SHUSHA-DECLARATION-ON-ALLIED-RELATIONS
Azerbaijani President: Organization of Turkic States is the main international organization for us, because it is our family. (2024). The Azerbaijani State News Agency. https://azertag.az/en/xeber/azerbaijani_president_organization_of_turkic_states_is_the_main_international_organization_for_us_because_it_is_our_family-2922781
Baki, M. (2022). Turkic World Vision–2040: A Step Forward for the Resilience of Turkic Cooperation. PERCEPTIONS, XXVII(1), 26–52. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/2559488
BALCI, S., DÜNDAR, H., & Emre GÜRBÜZ, Y. (2020). Internationalization of Education: From Bologna Process to Orhun Exchange Programme. International Journal of Psychology and Educational Studies, 7(1), 170–181. https://doi.org/10.17220/ijpes.2020.01.015
Bekzhanova, Z., & Michael Makoelle, T. (2022). Latinization of the Kazakh Alphabet: Implications for Education, Inclusion, and Social Cohesion in Kazakhstan. SAGE Open, October-December 2022, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221138820
Beylur, S. (2021). A NEW TURNING POINT IN THE INTEGRATION OF THE TURKIC WORLD: “TURKIC WORLD VISION-2040.” Eurasian Research Institute, Akhmet Yassawi University. https://www.eurasian-research.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Weekly-e-bulletin-29.11.2021-05.12.2021-No-331.pdf
C. Dupuy, A. (2024). There’s an alternative to Russian-based trade routes—but it needs support from the US, EU, and Turkey. Atlantic Council. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/turkeysource/theres-an-alternative-to-russian-based-trade-routes-but-it-needs-support-from-the-us-eu-and-turkey/
Cornell, S. (Ed.). (2024). Türkiye’s Return to Central Asia and the Caucasus. Central Asia-Caucasus Institute Silk Road Studies Program. https://www.silkroadstudies.org/resources/240622TRCA_merged.pdf
Eighth Summit of Turkic Council held in Istanbul. (2021). Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPRA). https://turkpa.org/news/392-eighth-summit-of-turkic-council-held-in-istanbul
Faruk Çetinkaya, A., & Demirel, N. (2023). Analyzing the impact of the organization of Turkic states on the foreign trade of member countries. Cogent Social Sciences, 10: 2288370. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2023.2288370
Fida , Z. (2018). Central Asia’s Place in Turkey’s Foreign Policy. Policy Perspectives , 151, 113–125. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.13169/polipers.15.1.0113
Gabala Declaration of the 12th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States. (2025). https://turkicstates.org/en/news/gabala-declaration-of-the-12th-summit-of-the-organization-of-turkic-states
22. History and Goals of Turkic Universities Union. (n.d.). Turkic Universities Union (TURKUNIB). http://turkunib.org/en/
History of TURKSOY. (n.d.). The International Organization of Turkic Culture (TÜRKSOY). https://www.turksoy.org/en-US/history
Huseynov, V. (2024). The Organization of Turkic States Seeks Defense Cooperation. Eurasia Daily Monitor, Jamestown Foundation, 21(35). https://jamestown.org/program/the-organization-of-turkic-states-seeks-defense-cooperation/
Imanaliyeva, A. (2023). Kyrgyzstan: Billions spent on preventing revolutions, says security services chief. Eurasianet. https://eurasianet.org/kyrgyzstan-billions-spent-on-preventing-revolutions-says-security-services-chief
International Organization Profile, Organization of Turkic States . (n.d.). Ministry of External Affairs, Republic of Turkiye . https://www.mfa.gov.tr/turk-konseyi-en.en.mfa
Keskin, T., & Ranjan Debata, M. (2024). How Turkey is taking a strategic turn from Turkism to Islamism. Firstpost. https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/how-turkey-is-taking-a-strategic-turn-from-turkism-to-islamism-13845269.html
Khakberdiev, K., & Zhailin, D. (2024). Treaty on Allied Relations: Practical Aspects of Security Cooperation Between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Central Asian Affairs, 91(3), 29–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.52536/2788-5909.2023-3.03
Kubicek, P. (1997). Regionalism, Nationalism and Realpolitik in Central Asia. Europe-Asia Studies, 49(4), 637–655. https://www.jstor.org/stable/153717
Kwan, S. (2024). Adoption of Latin-Based Common Turkic Alphabet. The Times of Central Asia. https://timesca.com/adoption-of-latin-based-common-turkic-alphabet/
Letter dated 9 November 2009 from the Permanent Representatives of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General. (2009). United Nations Digital Library; United Nations . https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/672372?ln=en&v=pdf
Machina, A. (2024). Turkish Challenge in Central Asia. Valdai Club Discussions. https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/turkish-challenge/
Mami, E. (2024). The Middle Corridor: trends and opportunities. ODI Global. https://odi.org/en/insights/the-middle-corridor-trends-and-opportunities/
Middle Corridor* through Central Asia, Caucasus Can Boost Trade, Connectivity and Supply Chain Resilience, Says New Report. (2023). The World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2023/11/27/middle-corridor-through-central-asia-caucasus-can-boost-trade-connectivity-and-supply-chain-resilience
Musaev, A. (2026). What’s next as China edges Russia as Central Aisa’s top trade partner?. BBC News. https://monitoring.bbc.co.uk/product/b0005c52
Ninth Summit of the Organization of Turkic States was held in Samarkand. (2022). Organisation of Turkic States. https://www.turkicstates.org/en/news/ninth-summit-of-the-organization-of-turkic-states-was-held-in-samarkand
Outzen, R. (2023). Security and Military Cooperation Among the Turkic States in the 2020s. The Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst; The Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and Silk Road Studies Program Joint Center. https://www.cacianalyst.org/publications/feature-articles/item/13781-security-and-military-cooperation-among-the-turkic-states-in-the-2020s.html
Pamir, P. (1993). Turkey, the Transcaucasus and Central Asia. Security Dialogue, 24(1), 49–54. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44471434
Panel on “The Vision of Greater Türkiye.” (2023). The International Organization of Turkic Culture (TÜRKSOY). https://www.turksoy.org/en-US/news/panel-on-vision-of-greater-turkiye
Presidential Summits. (n.d.). Organization of Turkic States. https://www.turkicstates.org/en/presidental-summits
Shayakhmetova, Z. (2024). Organization of Turkic States Strengthens Unity and Cooperation Among Turkic Nations. The Astana Times. https://astanatimes.com/2024/08/organization-of-turkic-states-strengthens-unity-and-cooperation-among-turkic-nations/
Shifman, R., & Ali, T. (2024). OTS Rides the Middle Corridor to the Summit. Caspian Policy Center. https://caspianpolicy.org/research/middle-corridor/ots-rides-the-middle-corridor-to-the-summit
Statement by the Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States on the situation at the Kyrgyz-Tajik state border. (2022). Organization of Turkic States. https://www.turkicstates.org/en/news/statement-by-the-secretary-general-of-the-organisation-of-turkic-states-on-the-situation-at-the-kyrgyz-tajik-state-border
Wani, A. (2024). Shusha Declaration: The Turkic states chart a course for cooperation. Raisina Debates, Observer Research Foundation. https://www.orfonline.org/index.php/expert-speak/shusha-declaration-the-turkic-states-chart-a-course-for-cooperation
Wheeler, G. (1975). The Modern History of Soviet Central Asia. Praeger Publishers.
Yaldiz, F. (2023). The Political Vision of the Organisation of Turkic States: An Analysis of the Turkic World Vision 2040. Eurasian Research Journal, 5(2), 61–79. https://doi.org/10.53277/2519-2442-2023.2-05
Yan, K. & Sabirova, Z. (2025). Hopes and Hurdles: Takeaways from the OTS Summit in Gabala. Caspian Policy Center. https://caspianpolicy.org/research/middle-corridor/hopes-and-hurdles-takeaways-from-the-ots-summit-in-gabala
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Rahul Gupta (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation .
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.
How to Cite
Plaudit
