By Iftikhar Gilani
ANKARA, Türkiye (MNTV) — Leaders of five Turkic nations concluded a two-day summit in Ankara on Friday with an ambitious plan to transform the vast territory stretching from Central Asia to the Mediterranean into a major global trade and transportation hub.
They also decided to place the Middle Corridor at the center of their economic and strategic cooperation.
The initiative seeks to establish a reliable land and maritime connection between China and Europe through Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye, offering international commerce an alternative to routes passing through Russia or the increasingly volatile Middle East.
The renewed emphasis on the corridor comes as wars in Ukraine and Iran, disruptions in the Red Sea and instability around the Strait of Hormuz have exposed the vulnerability of international supply chains.
For the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), the project represents more than an alternative trade route. It offers an opportunity to convert shared geography, language and historical ties into economic influence across Eurasia.
The summit adopted a 163-point Ankara Declaration covering transportation, energy security, defense cooperation, cybersecurity, investment, digital technology and cultural integration.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who chaired the gathering, described the Trans-Caspian East-West Middle Corridor as a strategic route capable of shaping international trade in the coming decades.
“The Trans-Caspian East-West Middle Corridor is a strategic line that will shape the trade of tomorrow,” Erdogan told the summit.
“We can make the Turkic world a major trade, transport, and energy hub, with Middle Corridor shaping future trade,” he added.
The meeting also marked Türkiye’s assumption of the organization’s rotating chairmanship from Azerbaijan.
However, the gathering was overshadowed by the absence of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, whose country occupies a crucial geographical position along the proposed transportation network.
Azerbaijan was represented by Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov amid reports of growing differences between Ankara and Baku over Azerbaijan’s restrictions on headscarves in schools and its relations with Israel.
Corridor to redraw Eurasian trade
The Middle Corridor, formally known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, connects China with Europe through a combination of railway networks, highways, Caspian Sea shipping services and Black Sea or Turkish transport infrastructure.
Cargo originating in China enters Kazakhstan before crossing the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan. From there, it travels through Georgia and Türkiye toward European markets.
Unlike the northern transportation network, the Middle Corridor avoids Russian territory. It also reduces dependence on maritime passages vulnerable to regional conflict.
The strategic importance of this alternative increased dramatically following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Western sanctions, geopolitical tensions and commercial uncertainty encouraged international logistics companies to examine routes bypassing Russia.
The war involving Iran in 2026 and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz have added urgency to the search for diversified transport networks.
For landlocked Central Asian economies, the corridor offers greater access to international markets without relying overwhelmingly on neighboring powers. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have long faced the geographical disadvantage of being separated from major seaports.
For Türkiye, the project reinforces its ambition to become a transportation bridge between Asia and Europe. For Azerbaijan, it offers an opportunity to establish itself as a major logistics center connecting the Caspian basin with the South Caucasus.
And for Europe, the corridor promises greater flexibility in accessing Asian manufacturing centers, energy resources and critical minerals.
Among the projects highlighted in the declaration is the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which connects Azerbaijan, Georgia and eastern Türkiye.
Leaders also supported development of the Zangezur Corridor, intended to improve transportation between mainland Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenian territory. The proposed route has considerable strategic importance because it could provide another connection between Azerbaijan and Türkiye.
Its development, however, remains dependent on political agreements and implementation arrangements involving Armenia.
The declaration also endorsed the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, a project designed to strengthen east-west transportation across Central Asia. Once developed, this railway could give Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan more direct access to Chinese trade networks and onward connections toward the Caspian region. The leaders further recognized the importance of the proposed Trans-Afghan railway, which could eventually connect Central Asia with Pakistan and ports on the Arabian Sea.
Together, these projects illustrate a broader ambition to create interconnected transportation networks rather than depend on one corridor.
The Ankara Declaration encouraged preparation of an OTS Transportation Corridors Strategy to coordinate infrastructure development and improve efficiency.
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, commonly known as IMEC, was announced in 2023 during the G20 summit in New Delhi. It has stalled due to Israel’s genocide in Gaza and Tel Aviv’s global isolation; the Middle Corridor has attained considerable significance.
The Middle Corridor, by contrast, connects directly with China and has attracted Chinese support for infrastructure development.
The summit identified the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Southern Gas Corridor as important components of regional energy connectivity. The declaration called for deeper cooperation on “pipelines, green energy corridors, critical minerals, energy efficiency, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy.”
Defense cooperation enters new phase
Beyond economic integration, the summit signaled a growing interest in coordinated security and defense capabilities.
The Ankara Declaration encouraged consideration of an OTS Defense Industry College program hosted by Türkiye.
The proposed institution would focus on technical training, professional expertise and knowledge sharing among defense industry personnel.
The declaration said the proposed college would promote “the sharing of knowledge and experience, training qualified personnel, developing theoretical and practical expertise in the defense industry sector.”
The initiative follows a defense industry cooperation roadmap adopted during a meeting of relevant officials in Baku on Oct. 1. Leaders encouraged progress toward establishing a council to combat crime and accelerating discussions on an OTS Cybersecurity Council.
Common alphabet for Turkic world
One of the summit’s most significant cultural initiatives involved efforts to promote a common 34-letter Turkic alphabet.
The project seeks to improve communication among Turkic-speaking populations whose languages share historical roots but have developed different writing systems.
Türkiye and Azerbaijan use Latin-based alphabets, while several Central Asian Turkic languages have historically used Cyrillic scripts or undergone transitions toward Latin-based writing.
These differences have complicated the exchange of books, educational materials, academic research and digital content.
The proposed common alphabet is intended to provide a shared framework that can represent sounds across Turkic languages.
The Ankara Declaration welcomed the Turkic Academy’s efforts to promote the alphabet, including “adopting the proposed guidelines for its use, and publishing literary and scientific works written in this alphabet.”
Erdogan linked the initiative to the summit’s theme, Turkic Century: Unity in Language, Thought and Deed, inspired by the ideas of Turkic intellectual Ismail Gaspirali.
“Unity in language means keeping our common treasure alive, developing it and understanding each other without intermediaries,” Erdogan said.
“Unity in thought means rallying around common goals and developing a joint strategy. Unity in deed means turning our words into action, our will into works and our decisions into results.”
The declaration also supported cultural exchanges, scholarship programs, joint tourism initiatives and stronger links among Turkic diaspora communities.
Erdogan called for contributions to a “Great Turkic Language Model” covering the Oghuz, Kipchak and Karluk language groups.
Such technology could support translation, education, public administration and digital communication across member countries.
Another important initiative is the Digital Silk Road, including a planned fiber-optic connection between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan across the Caspian Sea.
The project could strengthen digital connections between Central Asia and Europe while reducing dependence on existing communications routes.
Leaders also supported digital trade platforms, electronic documentation and closer cooperation on intellectual property rights.
The combined objective is to develop the Turkic region as a corridor not only for physical goods but also for information, technology and services.
Aliyev’s absence casts shadow
Despite the emphasis on unity, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s absence became one of the summit’s most politically sensitive developments.
Azerbaijan, a founding member of the organization and a crucial link in the Middle Corridor, sent Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov to represent the country.
Azerbaijani media reported that Aliyev had a previously scheduled engagement at the closing ceremony of a youth football event in Baku. His absence nevertheless came amid tensions between Türkiye and Azerbaijan over religious freedom, school dress regulations and Azerbaijan’s relations with Israel.
Restrictions on headscarves in Azerbaijani schools have drawn criticism from political circles in Türkiye. Azerbaijan’s APA news agency published an analysis accusing certain political and religious circles in Türkiye of conducting campaigns against Azerbaijan. The agency argued that criticism of Azerbaijan’s domestic policies and relations with Israel had damaged trust between the two countries.
Erdogan appeared to address concerns about unity during his summit remarks.
“There is no room for separation, division or discord in the family photo of the Turkic world,” he declared. “We are all one, we are together, and Allah willing, we are brothers from eternity to eternity.”
The Turkish president also praised Azerbaijan’s work during its rotating chairmanship.
“Today, as Türkiye, we are taking over our organization’s term presidency from Azerbaijan,” Erdogan said.
“I extend my congratulations on behalf of our organization to our Azerbaijani brothers for their efforts during their term presidency.” He also reaffirmed Ankara’s support for diplomatic efforts toward lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
“We support the contacts our Azerbaijani brothers are conducting with Armenia, and we will continue to contribute to lasting peace,” Erdogan said.
The episode highlighted a challenge facing the organization: balancing the ambitions of collective cooperation with the distinct political priorities of its member states.
Palestine, Islamophobia and regional conflicts
The summit also addressed major international political and humanitarian issues.
On Palestine, the declaration called for full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 and the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict. Leaders emphasized the need to address Gaza’s humanitarian emergency, support reconstruction and work toward a lasting political settlement.
Erdogan urged Turkic countries to do more to support Palestinians and reaffirmed his position in favor of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
“We must continue to support the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine on the basis of the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” Erdogan said.
The leaders reaffirmed Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity while supporting reconstruction and stability.
They encouraged continued cooperation through the organization’s Afghanistan Working Group to promote peace and sustainable development. On the wider regional situation, Erdogan expressed concern about renewed tensions involving Iran.
“Our hope is that the recently renewed tension with Iran will be channeled into diplomacy instead of weapons,” he said.
The declaration further expressed a commitment to combating “racism, discrimination, xenophobia, Islamophobia, hate speech, and disinformation.”
The leaders also acknowledged the work of Muslim religious councils and cooperation on religious guidance within the Turkic world.
On Cyprus, the declaration supported the rights of Turkish Cypriots and called for a “negotiated, mutually acceptable and sustainable solution” based on existing realities on the island.
Northern Cyprus participates in the organization as an observer, although its statehood is recognized only by Türkiye.
The Organization of Turkic States comprises five full members: Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
Turkmenistan, Hungary and Northern Cyprus participate as observers. The Economic Cooperation Organization also holds observer status.
The organization traces its origins to the establishment of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States in 2009. It subsequently evolved into the Organization of Turkic States, reflecting an ambition to move beyond cultural cooperation toward broader political and economic coordination.
Unlike the Arab world, where Palestine remains under Israeli occupation, large parts of the historic Turkic world lie within the internationally recognized borders of Russia and China.
Russia alone contains several Turkic-speaking republics and regions, including Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Chuvashia, Sakha (Yakutia), Tuva, Khakassia and Altai. Dagestan in the North Caucasus is also home to substantial Kumyk and Nogai communities.
Moscow has permitted Türkiye considerable cultural, educational, religious and economic engagement with its Turkic and Muslim communities. Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, hosts the annual Russia-Islamic World: KazanForum, attracting representatives from Muslim countries, including Türkiye.
Ankara’s Directorate of Religious Affairs, Diyanet, also maintains religious and educational contacts with Muslim communities in Russia. In a significant development at Friday’s summit, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed involving Russia in the Organization of Turkic States through its OTS+ cooperation framework or an observer arrangement.
Acknowledging Russia’s historical connections with Turkic peoples, Tokayev argued that closer engagement would benefit member countries. The proposal could open a new chapter in relations between the organization and Moscow, allowing closer cooperation with Turkic populations inside Russia without challenging its territorial sovereignty.