Azerbaijan and Turkey call for military cooperation: the Organization of Turkic States accelerates regional security integration.

The military cooperation initiative promoted at the 12th Organization of Turkic States Summit represents both a restructuring of the regional security architecture and a reflection of the strategic choices of mid-level powers in the global geopolitical landscape.

At the 10th Organization of Turkic States Summit, leaders of member states signed numerous documents covering economic and cultural areas, but military and security cooperation remained at the forum discussion stage. Three years later, Azerbaijani President Aliyev, re-elected in February 2024, made a clear statement at his inauguration ceremony: "We must work together to make the Organization of Turkic States a significant player and center of power in global affairs."

Ten months later, at the 12th Summit of the Council of Heads of State in Gabala, Azerbaijan, Aliyev and Turkish President Erdogan jointly called on member states to strengthen military cooperation, marking a substantial step forward in the organization's transition from economic and cultural cooperation to a security community.

01 The Development Trajectory of the Organization of Turkic States

The Organization of Turkic States, formerly the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States (also known as the Turkic Council), was established in October 2009. The organization was jointly established by Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan at the Ninth Summit of Turkic-Speaking States.

These countries are geographically close and share similar languages, cultures, religions, and historical backgrounds.

At its eighth summit in Istanbul in November 2021, the organization officially changed its name to the Organization of Turkic States and adopted the "Turkic World Vision 2040" document.

The summit also admitted Turkmenistan as an observer state, while Hungary and the internationally unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus also hold observer status.

The name change reflects Turkey's strategic intention to carry the banner of the Turkic world. Turkey, which considers itself the successor of the Ottoman Empire and a major power in the Turkic world, has long pursued a policy of "neo-Ottomanism."

Azerbaijan's victory in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict laid a public foundation for the integration of the Turkic world.

02 Foundations and Motivations for Military Cooperation

Turkey and Azerbaijan already have a solid foundation for military cooperation. In 2021, the two countries signed the Shusha Declaration, elevating their relationship to the level of strategic partnership and establishing solid cooperation agreements in the fields of politics, trade, military, and defense.

Turkey's military support played a key role in Azerbaijan's Second Karabakh War in 2020.

Turkey is also deepening its defense cooperation with Turkic-speaking countries in Central Asia. In 2022, Kazakhstan signed a memorandum of understanding on military-technical cooperation with Turkish Aerospace Industries to jointly assemble and maintain the Anka unmanned combat aircraft.

Kyrgyzstan purchased Turkish-made Ranger drones, and Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have also introduced Turkish-made drones.

In October 2022, Turkish President Erdogan visited Kazakhstan, and aerospace companies from both sides signed a "Memorandum of Understanding on Establishing Long-Term Strategic Cooperation," which will see them collaborate in areas such as satellite development, production, and launch. In addition, the two countries signed an "Intelligence Information Protocol," agreeing to jointly monitor regional military and political developments that pose a threat to their respective security.

Economic connectivity provides another impetus for security cooperation. Turkey's total trade with Kazakhstan has reached $6 billion, and with Uzbekistan $3 billion. Turkey has surpassed China to become Turkmenistan's largest exporter.

Trade between member states of the Organization of Turkic States is expected to reach $42 billion by the end of 2023. Shared economic interests provide a material foundation for security cooperation.

03 Reshaping the Geostrategic Landscape

The Organization of Turkic States' initiative to strengthen military cooperation is driven by an increasingly intense regional landscape of great power competition. Russia considers Central Asia its traditional sphere of influence, and the integration process of the Turkic states is causing Russia great concern.

The US magazine "Eurasia Review" noted that many Central Asian countries, including Kazakhstan, are members of the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union and the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

Turkey's initiative to promote the Organization of Turkic States to establish a unified military industry and a common defense system is seen as a challenge to Russia's influence in the region. All "local products" produced under this system will be manufactured to NATO standards, which will accelerate the gradual transition of Central Asian countries to NATO standards.

Western countries have a complex attitude toward the development of the Organization of Turkic States. On the one hand, the EU is investing in the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor connecting Europe and Asia through its "Global Gateway" initiative.

On the other hand, Western countries such as the United Kingdom view the Organization of Turkic States as a tool to squeeze Russia and contain China, leveraging pan-Turkism and pan-Islamism to orchestrate a "grand chess game" in Central Asia.

Central Asian countries are seeking a balance amidst the great power dynamics. Countries such as Kazakhstan are deepening defense cooperation with Turkey and implementing a diversified diplomatic strategy to avoid over-reliance on any one major power.

However, military cooperation within the Organization of Turkic States still faces numerous constraints. As a NATO member, Turkey's foreign military assistance requires the approval of other NATO members. Kazakhstan's military equipment system is primarily Russian-made, making a systematic upgrade difficult to achieve in the short term.

04 Regional Security and Global Impact

Military cooperation within the Organization of Turkic States has multiple impacts on the regional security landscape. In the defense industry, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan proposed an initiative to create a unified military industry and common defense system for all member states.

This system aims to jointly counter terrorism and allow member states to jointly develop and produce weapons and ammunition, reducing dependence on Western and Russian suppliers.

Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia have established a regular mechanism for joint military exercises. In June 2017, the three countries held the "Caucasian Eagle" joint military exercise in Georgia, and similar exercises were held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2019.

These exercises included aerial destruction of imaginary targets, hostage rescue, and injured evacuation.

The challenge facing the Organization of Turkic States is balancing the divergent interests of its member states. Turkey seeks to be a leader in name only, while major Central Asian powers such as Kazakhstan seek to maintain diplomatic autonomy.

Meanwhile, Tajikistan, the only one of the five Central Asian countries whose majority ethnic group is not of Turkic origin, remains wary of the Organization of Turkic States' expansion.

From a global perspective, the development of military cooperation within the OTU will complement, rather than challenge, the existing international landscape. Turkey's strategic adjustments aim to gradually mitigate the influence of NATO and Russia and forge an independent strategic future.

However, given the constraints of comprehensive national strength and influence, whether the OTU's military cooperation can achieve tangible results remains to be seen.

In the future, the OTU's military cooperation will depend on two key factors: whether it can strike a balance between Turkish leadership and the autonomy of its member states; and whether it can find a compatible solution between the Russian-led security system and Western standards.

Experts point out that the development of OTU's military cooperation will not alter the regional balance of power, but will provide member states with additional security options and a platform for multilateral diplomacy. On the global geopolitical chessboard, Turkic states are becoming a crucial intermediate force that cannot be ignored.