The 12th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) is underway in the ancient Azerbaijani city of Gabala.
President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan delivered a keynote address at the opening session, welcoming the leaders and highlighting the Organization’s growing role as a major geopolitical actor.
“Gabala, once the capital of Caucasian Albania, founded in the 4th century BCE, is a symbol of our deep historical roots,” President Aliyev said, extending gratitude to Kyrgyzstan for its successful chairmanship of the OTS.
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OTS as a Rising Geopolitical Center
Aliyev emphasized that the Organization of Turkic States has evolved beyond a cooperation platform into a significant geopolitical hub. He announced Azerbaijan’s donation of $2 million to support the Secretariat’s activities.
He noted that the member states’ political stability, favorable demographics, energy resources, and growing defense capabilities strengthen the OTS’s international influence. “Our shared historical and ethnic ties, as well as our common national and spiritual values, unite us as one family,” Aliyev said.
Security and Defense Cooperation
Touching on global instability, Aliyev stressed that peace and security remain central to sustainable development. Citing the Nakhchivan Agreement as the foundation of the OTS, he called for unity under the theme of “Regional Peace and Security.”
Aliyev proposed hosting joint military exercises of OTS member states in Azerbaijan in 2026, underscoring that “military strength is the key to independence and territorial integrity.”
He highlighted the 44-day Patriotic War of 2020 and the anti-terror operations of 2023, which ended Armenia’s decades-long occupation and restored Azerbaijan’s full sovereignty.
“The peace agreement initialed between Azerbaijan and Armenia at the White House in Washington two months ago will transform the South Caucasus into a region of peace,” he stated.
Regional Connectivity and the Zangezur Corridor
Aliyev devoted a large part of his speech to regional transport and logistics. He underlined Azerbaijan’s central role in the East-West and North-South corridors, noting a 90% increase in freight volumes along the Middle Corridor since 2022.
He highlighted key infrastructure such as the Alat International Sea Trade Port, the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway, and nine international airports, positioning Azerbaijan as a key Eurasian logistics hub.
A major outcome of the Washington summit, Aliyev said, was the opening of the Zangezur Corridor, a new transport artery linking Turkic states and serving both the Middle and North–South corridors.
Energy Security and the Green Transition
Aliyev reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s role as a reliable energy partner for many nations. “We now export natural gas to 14 countries – the widest reach among pipeline exporters,” he said.
He noted that Azerbaijan is also investing heavily in renewable energy: by 2030, 40% of the country’s electricity will come from solar, wind, and hydropower sources. Baku is spearheading a “Green Energy Corridor” connecting Central Asia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Europe.
Economic Cooperation Across the Turkic World
The president announced that Azerbaijan has invested over $20 billion in the economies of fellow Turkic nations, mainly in Turkey. Joint investment funds have also been established with Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan to finance new regional projects.
“These efforts deepen economic integration and strengthen cooperation among our brotherly countries in energy, transport, and sustainable development,” Aliyev said.
Cultural and Humanitarian Ties
Aliyev proposed that the OTS celebrate the 100th anniversary of the First Turkological Congress, held in Baku in 1926, with a major event next year.
In closing, he expressed gratitude to the OTS member states for their support in rebuilding Karabakh and East Zangezur. He cited examples of schools and cultural centers built in the liberated territories by Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Hungary, Turkmenistan, and Turkey.
“The Azerbaijani people will never forget this brotherly support,” Aliyev concluded.
