The 12th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) Heads of State Council was held in Gabala, Azerbaijan – one of the ancient crossroads of the Silk Road – under the theme “Regional Peace and Security.” The summit marked not only a milestone for the Turkic world but also a turning point amid shifting global geopolitical balances. The past five summits demonstrate the OTS’s growing institutional depth and functional regionalism. At the 2021 Istanbul Summit, the organization adopted its current name, “Organization of Turkic States,” and endorsed the Turkic World Vision-2040. The 2022 Samarkand Summit approved the 2022–2026 Strategic Roadmap and admitted the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) as an observer member. The 2023 Astana Summit, themed “The Turkic Era,” emphasized connectivity, while the 2024 Bishkek Summit adopted a common flag, endorsed the Charter of the Turkic World, and advanced the common alphabet initiative. Collectively, these developments reveal a multidimensional institutional integration encompassing politics, economy, transport, and digital transformation.
