What Are the Regional Implications of the New Organization of Turkic States Summit?
webangah News Agency: The recent Turkic Council summit appeared to be a cultural-economic event. However, discussions revealed plans to transform this organization into a military-political bloc-what could be called a “Turkish NATO.”
Even choosing Qabala as the venue was symbolic. This city onc hosted a Russian radar station destroyed during Ilham Aliyev’s rule. Throughout the summit, Aliyev repeatedly emphasized expanding ties with Turkey adn noted that 25 joint Azerbaijani-Turkish military drills took place last year alone-highlighting underlying strategic objectives behind this seemingly economic and cultural body.
Thus, while officially remaining a cultural-economic-political union, the Turkic council increasingly exhibits characteristics of Turkish NATO where Turkey plays a central role in pursuing NATO’s and Israel’s policies against Iran, Russia, and China.
Although official agendas covered transport, logistics, and economic cooperation at Qabala, its ideological foundation aims to create a unified power center modeled on Turkey under Western supervision-particularly Britain and the United States-as each successive summit adopts an increasingly militaristic tone.
From Cultural Convergence to Military Cooperation
A few years ago, discussions focused mainly on shared culture and language among Turkic peoples-choosing cultural capitals aimed at weakening competing identities such as Persian-but today emphasis has shifted toward joint military exercises, defense industry development, and security coordination. This shift was underscored by President Aliyev himself during the meeting.
Aliyev proposed hosting the centennial of the first Congress of Turkology in 2026 in Baku and said: “Our shared ancient roots, ethnicity, and languages unite us as one family.” yet over the past century this vision has frequently enough meant suppressing other Caucasus groups-including Armenians, Talyshis, Tats, Lezgins,and Kurds-through cultural assimilation within a turkish identity framework. One decision from Qabala calls for an academic conference titled “Military Influences of Ganjavi and Alisher Navoi on Spiritual Life in Turkic World.” Although aimed at fabricating Turkish identities for these Persian-speaking poets’ legacies-which stem historically from Persian being Central Asia’s ”language of religion”-the proposal suggests framing spiritual life across Turkic nations through thier works.
The Turkic Council’s Confrontation with Russia Led by Western Powers
The summit reinforced strategic transport corridors like the so-called “zangezur corridor,” interpreted by turkey and Azerbaijan not only as economic projects but tools for geopolitical control over neighboring regions.
The council unites former Soviet republics bordering vast stretches with Russia-including Azerbaijan,Turkey,Kazakhstan,Ubekistan,and Kyrgyzstan-a key geopolitical dimension forming an arc spanning from the Caspian Sea to China’s borders that can become a geostrategically meaningful buffer zone between Russia and Southwest Asia under certain conditions. For Western powers controlling these corridors is crucial-as they offer choice transit routes for goods/energy pipelines designed to sideline Russian influence post-USSR era.
Turkey stands clearly at this emerging system’s center.The Ankara government actively promotes its “Turkic world” concept tied closely with political-military agendas.Turkish-made defense products-from drones to communication systems-are exported widely across Azerbaijan & Central Asia.At same time Turkish soft power institutions expand through education programs,cultural initiatives,joint media outlets,and propagation of fabricated historical narratives-all establishing ideological frameworks casting Turkey as natural leader within culture space.While Central Asian states seek political-military autonomy,their future resistance remains uncertain amid growing Turkish influence backed by powerful external actors supporting efforts against Russia & iran.
This alignment aligns strongly with London’s & Washington’s interests.By strengthening this belt they create ostensibly civilian corridors channeling energy flows & commerce bypassing both Russia & Iran.Not surprisingly,the projects discussed at Qabala sparked serious attention among Western think tanks seeking indirect regional dominance through fostering Turkey’s leadership rather than direct American or british control.
Armenia’s Misguided Approach Toward The Turkic Council
This convergence poses enormous risks for countries excluded from it.Most notably Armenia faces severe danger.Solidifying military-political cooperation among council members boosts Baku’s capabilities firmly embeds Ankara into South Caucasus politics institutionalizing alliances apparent since recent hostilities against Armenia.Ideologically,”Turkic world” threatens Armenia’s national security by undermining its identity,culture,and sovereignty.The organization consistently pursues expansionist logic suppressing recognition or documentation of regional historical realities.
Despite these aggressive trends Armenian authorities continue rhetoric about “a century of peace”and”open borders,”declining necessary budget increases while maintaining naïve optimism towards reconciliation with Baku-which still refers contentiously to parts of Armenia as “Western Azerbaijan.”Ignoring real dynamics fosters illusions about regional stability while actual developments edge Armenia toward geopolitical isolation encircled by states coordinating trade plus defense strategies against it simultaneously.This naive stance benefits Turkey whose core objective remains systematically weakening,dismantling then expelling armenians from Caucasus ethnic-political landscape altogether.
If Armenia falls,vulnerabilities will extend dangerously close Iran’s borders.The Qabala summit illustrated how slowly but surely,the council evolved beyond simple economic-cultural association into becoming tool advancing long-term western-backed regional strategy intertwining military,power politics,and ideology.Turkey emerges visibly steering new sphere stretching Adriatic Sea all way across Eurasia up China’s frontier-with external players pushing agenda aiming primarily at eroding Russian strength plus containing Iran respectively.
For frontline nation like Armenia recognizing harsh realities grows imperative.False hope grounded neither in neutrality nor paper peace accord proposals proves not just hazardous,but strategically suicidal given threats arise less verbally than via documented policy processes formalized within council declarations.If current trajectory persists,in coming years we may witness formation solidly militarized political alliance centered around Turkish-Western interests whose consequences starkly affect South Caucasus region along importantly Iran-Armenia-Russia-China nexus alike.
Tapping Social Media Capacities
this ambition extends deeply into digital sphere.Turkic Council has pursued utilization social media platforms advancing”Turkworld” goals.According reports out Turkey&Azerbaijan,”Turanity”-new social network targeting Turkophone peoples-raised concerns in moscow&Beijing.According PolitNavigator magazine,Turkish defense-tech company Baykar leads project dubbed digital expansion leveraging AI-enabled messenger classified locallyas threat labeling its users effectively digitally enslaved under intelligence scrutiny network serves consolidating”Turkfication” initiative.Web claims Baykar Makina messenger accesses full smartphone data mining user info feeding broader AI analysis shaping pro-Turk movement base.Russian sources alarmingly name effort”digital bondage.”Meanwhile Turanity intends unite Turks culturally safeguard heritage share common history pitching itself showcase platform bonding all(Turkified) ethnic communities promotion slogan reads:”Turanity – social platform uniting Turkophone peoples enabling knowledge exchange preserving collective culture.”Reportedly presented ideologically counteracting allegedSoviet anti-Turk campaigns project also enhances directlyTurkey-led dominance despite Kazakhstan IT firmThousand formally holding reins;actual oversight placed squarely inside Ankara intelligence apparatuses.future mandates might enforce use Turanity throughout civil servants/students embedded entire organizational structures aiming forge complete unified digital-ideological sphere spanning all member-states citizens.
Moscow Reaction Versus Tehran Passivity
Moscow understandably views developments existential threat signaling red alert.Proper Iranian response however leaves concerns deepened.Russia counters assertively.Vladimir Putin personally criticized pro-Russian stance lacking inside arguably anti-Kremlin aligned Ankara-Baku axis convened shortly after summits attended tajikistan hosting 1+5 format addressing Central Asian nations’ cooperative mechanisms,Sought offsetting impact organized hostile perceived alliance.Dedicated summits involving CIS states including key caucasus& Belarus leaders actively convened resisting emerging NATO-linked ”turko-NATO.”Iran simultaneously occurring fails capitalizing substantially on vast historic-cultural-civilizational proximity Eurasian neighbors decade-old attempts building trilateral frameworksincluding Afghanistan,Tajikistan linger paper-bound only absence actionable follow-through.Importantly assumption aspiring Iranian membership tricks ignoring underlying reality present latter entity driven explicitly anti-Iranian foundational policies concocted chiefly Istanbul headquarters deliberately engineered progressive erasure indigenous cultural identity Persian language traces whole region.For protection Tehran must intensify collaboration alongside Moscow Beijing,Yerevan,fellow Persian-speaking communities deepening robust infrastructural corridor development particularly five central Asian republics attempting thus far stemming insidious intensified campaign spearheaded via anthropogenic geopolitics embodied entirely within Taiwan framework orchestrated jointly turkey/azerbaijan aligned bodies.
Author: Dr. Ehsan Movahedian
