Akbar Novruz

The 12th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the
Organization of Turkic States (OTS), held in Gabala, has become a
defining moment in the evolution of the Turkic world. Bringing
together leaders from across the Turkic geography, the summit not
only reaffirmed shared values of history, language, and culture but
also underscored a new stage of strategic integration among its
member states. The discussions in Gabala highlighted the OTS’s
growing role as an influential geopolitical bloc that bridges
continents, connects transport corridors, and amplifies the
collective economic potential of its members.

President Ilham Aliyev emphasized the unity and growing
influence of the Turkic world, noting that, “Today, the
Organization of Turkic States has grown into one of the key
geopolitical centers, and our shared history, ethnic roots, and
languages unite us as one family.” He went on to illustrate the
organization’s expanding synergy with a striking analogy: “If the
strength of each Turkic state in the OTS is roughly 10, then the
combined strength of eight Turkic states is not just 80. Together,
they total 800 because their collective power exceeds the simple
sum of their parts. This isn’t an exaggeration but a phenomenon
grounded in scientific principles.”

MP Vugar Bayramov, in his remarks to Azernews,
reflected on the significance of the summit, underscoring how
President Aliyev’s vision and the overall outcomes of the meeting
demonstrate the OTS’s rise as a major geopolitical force. He
stated: “The speech of the Azerbaijani leader once again confirmed
the formation of the organization as one of the serious
geopolitical centers. As the Azerbaijani head of state noted,
internal political and economic stability, significant geostrategic
position, positive demographics and a young population, great
opportunities in the transport and logistics sector, natural
resources, as well as growing potential in the military and
military-technical fields make the TEU an important actor in the
global arena.”

Bayramov emphasized that the Turkic world today represents a
region whose growth rate surpasses the global average: “The further
deepening of strategic relations between the TEU member states
creates new opportunities for economic development. This is also
reflected in the creation of joint investment funds, an increase in
mutual trade volumes, and extensive cooperation in the field of
transport and logistics. Azerbaijan is a state that makes a special
contribution to the strengthening of strategic cooperation and
integration between the Turkic states. In recent years, both the
deepening of economic cooperation between the Turkic states and the
rapid development of their national economies have been
recorded.”

In highlighting the economic strength of the Turkic world, he
noted that “In 2024, the economy of the Turkic states grew by 5.4
percent. This significantly exceeds the global economic growth
rate. The Turkic states, with a GDP of $2.11 trillion, have a 1.8
percent share in the global economy. In 2024, the total trade
turnover of the Turkic states amounted to $1.17 trillion, which is
3.5 percent of the global trade turnover. This means that the
Turkic world is becoming a new global power.”

Bayramov also drew attention to Azerbaijan’s central role in
enhancing the region’s connectivity. “After the victory, President
Ilham Aliyev repeatedly stated that the main part of Azerbaijan
should be provided with unhindered access to Nakhchivan by land.
The President stated that the Zangazur Corridor would be
implemented and that it was only a matter of time,” he recalled,
emphasizing the corridor’s strategic relevance.

He further noted that, “The Joint Declaration signed in
Washington, D.C., which was signed thanks to the far-sighted policy
of the President of Azerbaijan, confirmed the unhindered movement
between the main part of our country and Nakhchivan. As noted at
the Gabala meeting, the Zangazur Corridor is of great importance as
a new transport artery and a second route within both the Middle
Corridor and the North-South Corridor. This also means that the
Turkic world will be connected by land transport in the very near
future. The Turkic world is uniting, and it is developing
further.”