The organisation of turkic states: an emerging actor in the context of geopolitical opportunities and limitations?

Abstract

The Organisations of Turkic States (OTS), which aims to strengthen the Turkic world’s historical and cultural linkages, appears as a key regional actor candidate in the context of globalisation and regionalisation dynamics of the international system. Formed in 1991 by the Turkic-speaking states that gained their independence with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, this organisation plays a prominent role in cooperation, defence and economic integration (such as free trade, common currency and visa liberalisation), especially in the Eurasian region. In an environment where young states in the region face security and economic risks, the OTS has a major role in providing its members with the opportunity to develop a common policy against these risks. The OTS, which is built on the axis of the common historical, socio-cultural and linguistic ties of its members and can be read as a reflection of the idea of Turkism, claims to lead the establishment of a strong solidarity platform on a regional scale. In this context, the main purpose of the present study is to investigate the role and potential of the OTS in the international system with its historical foundations and current function. Although it is seen that the integration between the OTS countries is getting better day by day in the economic field, this is not the case in the field of political cooperation and security. As a result, the pressures of other global actors in the region and the fact that the OTS countries prioritise their own national interests indicate that the Turkic world integration is still far from being a regional actor.