On October 7, the 12th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) took place in Gabala. This summit can rightfully—and should—be regarded as a landmark political event for the entire Turkic world. The modern international system once again witnessed how Azerbaijan, through its initiatives, sets the pace and tone of international processes.
The significant attention given to the summit by the international press highlights the scale and potential of this global project. In other words, thanks to our country’s initiatives, a new global geopolitical pole uniting the entire Turkic world is emerging on the political map of the world today.
The words spoken by the President of Azerbaijan during the summit should be seen as an open declaration of the organization’s global ambitions:
“Today, the Organization of Turkic States is not merely a platform for cooperation; it is being formed as one of the serious geopolitical centers.”
Without a doubt, these words will attract international attention. At this historic moment, as trends toward a multipolar world intensify, the Turkic world, by all existing criteria, has the right to claim the status of a new geopolitical pole.
Undoubtedly, choosing the most favorable timing for implementing a specific geopolitical project is an extremely important factor. The correct timing of a political project is considered one of the key components of any political strategy. It should be emphasized that this quality is one of the fundamental features of President Ilham Aliyev’s political approach. Partly for this reason, it can be assumed that the acceleration of policies to strengthen cooperation among Turkic countries is explained not only by the observed trend toward a multipolar world.
The global geopolitical project of a unified Turkic world is not merely a collaboration of potentials; it is a long-term guarantee of peace against “clash of civilizations” scenarios, as warned by Samuel Huntington. In other words, while a multipolar world helps prevent new conflicts, strengthening the Turkic world contributes to creating a balance of power and naturally reduces the likelihood of a “clash of civilizations” scenario. It can therefore be confidently said that the political map of the world is being redrawn today.
Of course, the factor of power remains the primary criterion defining the status of a country or an international institution. This is likely why President Ilham Aliyev stated during his speech:
“Given the broad cooperation of our countries in military, defense, and security areas, I propose conducting joint military exercises of the member states of the Organization of Turkic States in Azerbaijan in 2026.”
The very possibility of such exercises could influence the course of many processes. Moreover, the head of state emphasized:
“It is known that development is impossible without ensuring security.”
In addition, the President of Azerbaijan skillfully used the OTS platform to further legitimize the Zangezur Corridor on the international stage:
“In this context, another important outcome of the Washington Summit was the agreement to open the Zangezur Corridor. The Zangezur Corridor is highly significant as a new transport artery and a second route within both the Middle Corridor and the North–South corridor.”
Thanks to the President’s words, the term “Zangezur Corridor” was not only included once again in international protocols but also became a factor making the entire Turkic world a stakeholder in the project’s implementation.
Thus, through concrete initiatives and the demonstration of political will, the Turkic world ceases to be merely a theoretical or ideological concept and establishes its status as a new geopolitical pole and a global player. World history is not simply repeating itself—it is transforming with the lessons of the past in mind. Another source of national pride is that it was our Victory that made the realization of such global geopolitical projects possible.
Asif Adil
Translated from minval.az
