Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, celebrating the Oct. 3 anniversary as “Turkic States Cooperation Day,” called the bloc a manifestation of shared values and vowed it “will continue to serve peace, prosperity and stability in its region and beyond.”
Kürşad Zorlu, Deputy Chair of Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and Head of Relations with Turkic States, emphasized the bloc’s growing economic and strategic importance.
“In 2009, when the Nakhchivan Agreement was signed, the total revenue of Turkic states was $1 trillion. Today, this figure has more than doubled, exceeding $2.1 trillion in 2024,” he said at the Turkic States Cooperation Day program in Ankara. “The balance of power is shifting in our favor, and Turkic states are rapidly progressing towards becoming leading figures both globally and in their regions.”
Member nations highlighted the group’s growing weight in Eurasian politics, positioning it as not only a cultural community but also a strategic actor. That ambition is anchored in the bloc’s “Turkic World – 2040 Vision Document,” which sets long-term goals for political solidarity, economic expansion, and greater international influence.
Zorlu noted that initiatives within the Organization of Turkic States have strengthened economic and strategic ties, with the total share of Turkic states in global trade rising to 2.43 percent. “Our foreign trade volume, which was $540 billion in 2009, reached $1.2 trillion in 2024, and trade among Turkic states is expected to reach $70 billion by the end of this year,” he said.
Originally launched as the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States by Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the group evolved into the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) at its landmark Istanbul summit in November 2021. The rebranding was widely interpreted as the start of a new era for the Turkic integration process, signaling an ambition to translate cultural bonds into geopolitical clout.
Zorlu stressed that unity, solidarity, and determination are the Turkic world’s most important strengths in the face of global challenges, adding that Türkiye’s foreign trade volume with Turkic states will rise from $7.5 billion in 2009 to $25 billion in 2024.
Today, the OTS counts five full members, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye and Uzbekistan, and three observers: Turkmenistan, Hungary and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Collectively, its member states cover more than 4.2 million square kilometers and represent a population of around 160 million, with a combined GDP exceeding $1.5 trillion.
Zorlu highlighted that the organization continues to pursue multilateral projects in over 30 sectors, from transportation and energy to the digital economy, agriculture, education and tourism. “Our Turkic World Vision document outlines the long-term goals and roadmap for joint development, including projects like the Turkish investment fund and strategic transportation initiatives such as the Middle Corridor,” he said.
Headquartered in Istanbul, the OTS functions through its Council of Heads of State, Council of Foreign Ministers, Council of Elders, Committee of Senior Officials and Secretariat. It also coordinates with affiliated structures such as the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TÜRKPA), the Turkic Academy, the Organization of Turkic Culture (TÜRKSOY), the Turkic Investment Fund and the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation. Together, these institutions seek to foster collaboration not just in diplomacy but across education, science, trade, security, transportation and tourism.
In recent years, the OTS has widened its international partnerships, working with the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the OSCE and the World Customs Organization. Its representative office in Budapest has helped cement ties with Hungary, its first full European and EU observer, and strengthen engagement with the European Union, the OECD and the Visegrad Group.
The Turkic World – 2040 Vision Document, adopted in 2021, provides a framework for the bloc’s long-term ambitions. It calls for stronger political solidarity, expanded economic and technical cooperation, enhanced people-to-people ties, and joint efforts to preserve cultural and historical heritage. The roadmap underscores the group’s shift from a cultural alliance to a comprehensive regional organization with global aspirations.
The OTS has also overseen symbolic projects that have captured public imagination across its member states. Earlier this year, the Turkic Academy announced that its Common Alphabet Commission had reached consensus on a 34-letter Common Turkic Alphabet, a move hailed as a cultural breakthrough in bridging linguistic divides among Turkic peoples.
Since its founding, the organization has held 11 summits of heads of state. Its 12th summit is scheduled for Oct. 7 in Azerbaijan under the theme of “Regional Peace and Security.” Leaders are expected to address regional crises, cooperation in defense industries, and the bloc’s growing role as a stabilizing force between Asia and Europe.
Officials say the OTS is increasingly seen not just as a cultural community but as a geopolitical actor capable of influencing Eurasian affairs. For Ankara and its allies, the project symbolizes both a return to historic connections and an investment in a common future where Turkic states act in greater coordination.
“The past 16 years have demonstrated the vitality of our unity,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said. “With shared resolve, the Turkic world is charting a path that brings prosperity to its peoples and stability to its neighborhood.”
As the anniversary is marked, the organization’s trajectory appears to be shifting from symbolic gestures of solidarity to practical instruments of power. With a growing population, expanding economy and strategic geography, the OTS is increasingly positioning itself as an indispensable bloc in shaping the balance of Eurasia.
