Organization of Turkic States Advances Eurasian Trade Connectivity

Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 22 Issue: 21

(Source: Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, Middlecorridor.com)

Executive Summary:

  • The Organization of Turkic States (OTS), comprising Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, and observers, is leading efforts to enhance the Middle Corridor. This initiative aims to bolster regional connectivity, mitigate trade disruptions from geopolitical instability, and develop sustainable, competitive transport networks through multilateral treaties and infrastructure investments.
  • Recent OTS summits have reinforced commitments to optimizing and digitalizing the Middle Corridor. Agreements focus on modernizing logistics, integrating green energy solutions, and harmonizing customs and border procedures.
  • Strengthened intergovernmental collaboration allows the OTS to enhance regional economic integration. Continued focus on infrastructure, digital transformation, and strategic partnerships will unlock the Middle Corridor’s full potential across the region.

Amid shifting geopolitical dynamics and increasing global trade demands, the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), comprising Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, and observer states, has undertaken a transformative Middle Corridor Initiative (MCI) to enhance the route within the global trade landscape. This 6,500-kilometer-long (approximately 4,000 miles) transport and trade route traversing Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus, and Türkiye has gained renewed prominence as member states focus on developing secure, efficient, and competitive transport corridors to mitigate the challenges posed by sanctions and instability along traditional transit channels (see EDM, November 17, 2022, October 28, 2024). The OTS has already devoted extensive efforts into systematically developing sophisticated logistics and transport facilities through various multilateral treaties signed within the context of MCI.

Under the OTS, the Turkic-speaking countries maintain high-level relations to facilitate region-wide market integration, commercial cooperation, and large-scale cultural interaction. Constructive efforts have already yielded positive results with respect to securing intergovernmental agreements under the Turkic bloc. Most recently, in July 2024, during the Informal Summit in Shusha, Azerbaijan, OTS leaders emphasized enhancing the Middle Corridor’s efficiency. Under the Garabagh Declaration, Turkic states reached a consensus on optimizing and digitalizing the route, harmonizing climate change initiatives, and advancing the development of a green energy corridor (OTS, July 6, 2024). These efforts are designed to enhance cross-border transportation efficiency and foster sustainable practices to stimulate cross-continental container traffic flows from east to west and vice versa (see EDM, January 28).

Intensified inter-governmental efforts within the OTS have accelerated the development of a robust institutional framework, laying the foundation for establishing strategic goals to meet long-term objectives (The Astana Times, August 2, 2024; The Armenian Weekly, December 31, 2024). In this regard, the latest OTS summit, held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on November 6, 2024, highlighted the collective resolve of the Turkic states to promote regional interconnectivity and economic cooperation (OTS, November 6, 2024). This meeting underscored the critical importance of diversifying multilateral relations and strengthening interstate ties as essential measures to ensure regional stability, foster sustainable economic development, and enhance transport and communication networks (Ibid).

The OTS has emerged as a mobilizing force and active political entity in regional affairs in the past few years. The Samarkand Summit in 2022 and the Astana Summit in 2023 exemplified the organization’s commitment to enhanced cooperation amid geopolitical fragmentation (OTS, November 12, 2022; Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States, November 3, 2023). The Astana summit resulted in the adoption of the “Joint Action Plan for the Implementation of the Transport Connectivity Program of the Organization of Turkic States for 2023–2027” (Turan News Agency, November 3, 2023).  According to OTS Deputy Secretary General Mirvokhid Azimov, this plan encompasses over 35 actions designed to enhance the corridor’s transit potential and facilitate smoother Caspian crossings (OTS, November 6, 2023; OECD, December 13, 2023). It is aimed at harmonizing technical and regulatory standards related to transport infrastructure, customs procedures, and border crossings among member states, as well as with other regional and international stakeholders (Ibid). The  Astana Declaration emphasized leveraging emerging opportunities in developing multimodal transport routes, particularly focusing on the Middle Corridor (Ibid). This includes recognizing the strategic significance of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway Line, as well as key transport links such as those connecting the East Zangezur Economic Region and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan route, the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran corridor, and the Termez-Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway line (Ibid, Article 61; see EDM, January 15).

A pivotal milestone of the OTS Istanbul Summit in November 2021 was the finalization of the “Agreement on International Combined Freight Transportation”, which was later signed in 2022 (OTS, November 12, 2021; OTS, accessed February 13). The subsequent Istanbul Declaration characterized this deal as a significant achievement, emphasizing its role in implementing essential measures to streamline administrative procedures and enhance the efficiency of transport operations along the Middle Corridor. Adopted strategies ensure long-term sustainability and adaptability to global trade dynamics (OTS, November 12, 2021).

The OTS has played a proactive role in securing Middle Corridor-related contracts with relevant Turkic states. These multi-party agreements range from upgrading existing terminal facilities to providing technical assistance. For instance, sister port agreements linking Baku, Aktau, and Samsun demonstrate collaborative efforts to bolster connectivity to unlock the maritime portion of this multimodal route (OTS, November 19, 2024). Another development occurred in July 2022 when Albayrak Group from Türkiye and the Port of Baku formed a long-term partnership to enhance maritime services by optimizing the coordination and management of bulk cargo loading and unloading operations across the wider Caspian Sea region (Trend News Agency, July 15, 2022). These collaborations aim to exchange best practices in port management, boost operational efficiency, and foster increased trade flows (IDD, December 1, 2022).

On June 27, 2022, following a proposal by Ankara, the First Trilateral Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers in Charge of Transport of Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan was held in Baku (See EDM, July 18, 2022; Caspian News, June 28, 2022). During the meeting, the parties reached a consensus on enhancing the competitiveness of the Middle Corridor in comparison to alternative trade routes. This agreement was formalized in the “Baku Declaration on Cooperation in Transport and Communications Spheres,” which eventually led to the formation of an intergovernmental working group in Baku (Ibid). The declaration is expected to play a crucial role in consolidating diplomatic connections among these three major Turkic countries and fostering stronger intra-regional economic ties based on mutual interests (see EDM, July 18, 2022). Moreover, the tripartite ministerial meeting underscored the importance of implementing the Zangezur Corridor, emphasizing its critical role in advancing regional connectivity and economic integration (Caspian News, June 28, 2022).

Another milestone, the “Roadmap for 2022–2027,” signed on November 25, 2022, in Aktau, Kazakhstan, set out concrete goals for prioritizing the integration of digital technologies and infrastructure improvements (Middle Corridor, November 25, 2022). In November 2023, the OTS delegation participated in an event held by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on “Realizing the Potential of the Middle Corridor” in Istanbul (Trend News Agency, November 7, 2023). Discussions centered on the corridor’s vital role in connecting Europe and Asia and underscored the significance of the 2023 Joint Action Plan discussed earlier to implement transport connectivity within the OTS for the period 2023 to 2027 (OTS, November 3, 2023). 

The revitalization of the Middle Corridor under the leadership of the OTS represents an ambitious effort to redefine regional trade and transit landscapes. Bilateral and trilateral agreements between Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and other member states have laid a solid foundation for enhanced cooperation via the Middle Corridor. Through OTS-led agreements, commercial partnerships and political ties involving Turkic states have been elevated to historically unprecedented levels. Looking forward, the OTS must prioritize fostering longstanding technical partnerships, leveraging innovative solutions, and addressing regional disparities. By emphasizing infrastructure development, digital transformation, and strategic collaboration, the OTS is poised to unlock the corridor’s full potential in the Sino-European trade network in the wake of Russia’s economic isolation. In an era marked by geopolitical uncertainty, the Middle Corridor exemplifies the power of cooperation and innovation in fostering a more connected and prosperous future for the Turkic world and beyond.