The Organization of Turkic States (OTS) Heads of State agreed to establish the OTS+ format, a flexible mechanism designed to enhance cooperation with external partners at the recent meeting in Gabala. This outcome was not unexpected. Over the past decade, the OTS has expanded rapidly, developing a solid institutional foundation that enables more coordinated policy implementation among its members.
The organization’s agenda has steadily broadened encompassing such areas as defense and security collaboration, education, trade and digital innovation. This evolution reflects a shift toward deeper, multidimensional integration within the Turkic world and a growing ambition to engage more actively on the global stage. This trend will persist gradually in the future.
More than ten new initiatives were proposed by the presidents of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan alone during the Gabala summit, highlighting the growing political and economic interdependence of OTS member states and their willingness to interact with outside parties under the new framework.
The increase in the number of regional institutions such as the OTS and the expansion of its activities over the past years clearly demonstrate that regionalization has become a key trend in global geopolitics. Sovereign states have begun to recognize the realities of the modern international system, which is largely based on interdependence, something that is not a threat but rather as a unifying factor. In this context, the OTS+ format represents an institutional level-up: cooperation has moved beyond the framework of Turkic identity, which was once the core value. Today, the member states are increasingly united by shared strategic and economic interests.
From this perspective, the expansion of the OTS format should be seen as a necessity driven not only by a shared Turkic history, but also by the need to attract countries that demonstrate economic interest in regional integration within the OTS framework. It is possible that new participants will emphasize the Turkic factor as well; however, a more plausible scenario is that these countries will join with the intention of contributing to the development of a new regional agenda and positioning themselves as active players in the region.
Georgia could become the most anticipated country to join the OTS+, with its potential membership driven largely by the logic of regional consolidation. The core OTS member states are those through whose territories the Middle Corridor passes, a key trans-logistical route linking China with European markets and vice versa. However, Georgia remains outside this network, even though other countries along this route are already members of the OTS.
Tbilisi has previously expressed interest in the organization: earlier this year, it took part in the meeting of the heads of customs administrations of OTS member states in Baku, where it proposed the implementation of joint projects- specifically, the establishment and efficient operation of shared border crossing points and the simplification of transit procedures along the Middle Corridor. From this perspective, Georgia represents the missing piece in the puzzle of regional integration within the OTS+ framework. Therefore, it seems highly likely that the country may soon become part of this broader community.
Tajikistan is the second-most-likely partner for the OTS within the emerging configuration. Unfortunately, it has remained outside the Central Asian family, standing apart from most regional initiatives. Turkmenistan, currently an observer in the OTS, took a step toward engagement by inviting Tajikistan’s president to the informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States held in October 2024.
Nevertheless, Dushanbe has been carefully preparing the ground for closer interaction with OTS countries over the years. One recent example is the participation of a Tajik delegation in the Birlesik 2024 operational-tactical command and staff exercises in Kazakhstan last July, alongside representatives from Azerbaijan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan.
It is evident that Tajikistan is taking a cautious approach toward joining the Turkic community. However, for Dushanbe, this represents a significant opportunity for supply diversification and economic integration. Having long maintained Russia as its primary strategic partner, Tajikistan is now visibly shifting its foreign policy- deepening engagement with Central Asia and the South Caucasus through reciprocal high-level visits and efforts to resolve border delimitation and demarcation issues. Such a narrative may not sit well with Moscow, yet for Tajikistan, the OTS+ format appears both advantageous and strategically efficient.
Though their efforts to become involved are not as clear-cut as those of the aforementioned actors, Pakistan and Afghanistan aspire to participate in the larger OTS space. Pakistan is an important military partner for both Türkiye and Azerbaijan and has close ties to Central Asian nations. This year’s May summit in Lachin, which included the leaders of Baku, Ankara, and Islamabad, demonstrated that a trilateral alliance between the three nations has already begun to take shape.
As active OTS members, Azerbaijan and Türkiye could play a decisive role in promoting Pakistan’s inclusion in the OTS+ format – particularly in areas related to military and defense cooperation. The case of Afghanistan is somewhat different, focusing primarily on transit and logistics. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have both emphasized the importance of developing the Lapis Lazuli Corridor, a trade and transport route that begins at the ports of Aqina and Torghundi in Afghanistan’s Faryab and Herat provinces, reaches the Turkmenbashi port in Turkmenistan, crosses the Caspian Sea to Baku in Azerbaijan, passes through Tbilisi and Georgia, and continues into Türkiye ultimately connecting with Europe.
Recently, Baku has also explored possibilities for linking the Lapis Lazuli Corridor with the Middle Corridor, a topic discussed on the sidelines of the 17th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Summit in Khankendi. Afghanistan’s potential participation in the OTS+ format will primarily represent logistical and transport opportunities for the region.
Further expansion of the OTS+ framework appears inevitable. However, in this context, it is important to take into account certain challenges related to the positions of global players such as Russia, the United States, and some EU member states. As the institutional weight of the organization grows, these major powers may seek to exert political or economic pressure, potentially hindering the process of regional integration.
The author is Nargiz Mammadova, an expert at the STEM analytical center and a lecturer at Khazar University, Azerbaijan.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of The Astana Times.
