What are the Results of the 10th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Astana?

As we live in the first quarter of the twenty-first century, with the announcement of the establishment of the Organization of Turkic States, the developments in the Turkic geography are closely followed by the world public opinion. The geopolitical and strategic importance of this region, which is centered on Turkic communities, is increasing day by day. Interest in the "Turkic" brand is on the rise compared to the last century.

The 10th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OST) was held in Astana, Kazakhstan on November 3, 2023. Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Turkmenistan and observer member Hungary participated in the Summit at the level of Heads of State. The motto of the Summit was 'The Turkic Era'. 

French President Emanuel Macron's visit to Central Asia before the Summit

French President Emanuel Macron visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan ahead of the CIS summit. The fact that the visit took place at a time when Russia-Ukraine and the Israeli-Palestinian war were ongoing was of particular importance. Before getting into the reasons for this visit, it is appropriate to review Paris' recent foreign policy dynamics. 

In 2021, the Australian Government canceled a multimillion-dollar contract with France for the construction of nuclear submarines, and then signed a trilateral defense and security partnership agreement with the UK and the US. Since then, France has pursued a policy towards the US and other countries that ostensibly prioritizes the interests of the EU, but in fact prioritizes its own interests. Since the beginning of the war with Ukraine, France has been trying to fill the void in Central Asia created by Russia's channelization of the war in line with its own interests.

France currently meets approximately 65-70 percent of its energy needs from nuclear power plants (1). After France was virtually expelled from Niger, Macron started looking for an outlet in Central Asia to meet his country's need for nuclear fuel, uranium. Contrary to popular belief, Kazakhstan ranks first and Niger second in supplying uranium to France.  Uzbekistan, also an important uranium producer, is among the countries Macron visited. It is also understood from the statements made during the visit that some contracts were signed in the field of oil and natural gas with Kazakhstan, which ranks second in the supply of gas and oil to the EU. 

The fact that the date of the visit was just before the Summit meeting of the CSTO in Astana is another important point. This shows us that the Turkic world is becoming a new political and economic power center in the multipolar world. Because France has problems with Turkey and Azerbaijan. France is active against TRNC and Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean and supports Armenia politically and militarily against Azerbaijan. In such an environment, the French President visits two important CIS member states and gives softening messages. What is interesting in these visits is that the messages of support for Armenia, which are given in almost every environment, are never on the agenda. 

The "One Belt, One Road" (OBOR) project launched by China in 2013 is already in operation. Central Asia - South Caucasus and Turkey constitute the middle corridor of this road. In September, in response to this Chinese project, the United States proposed the India-Middle East-Europe (IMEC) trade corridor, which would shift the production base from China to India. Considering all this, France is trying to protect its interests by being present in Central Asia in case the balance of power changes in this region. This visit can be evaluated in that context.

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and CIS Summit 

Prior to the summit, it was anticipated that the TRNC would be invited to the summit as an observer. Especially the visit of the TRNC President Mr. Ersin Tatar to Azerbaijan and the visit of the Azerbaijani President Mr. Mr. Ersin TATAR's visit to Azerbaijan, the visit of the President of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilan ALIYEV and Mr. Mr. Erdoğan's statements on this issue had raised hopes. However, it can be said that Kazakhstan's refusal to invite the TRNC to the summit on the grounds that its own domestic law approval procedure regarding the TRNC's acceptance as an observer to the CSTO was still in progress created a shock effect in the TRNC and Turkey. In addition to this, with the statements made by the authorized mouths in the press, the news that the TRNC would participate with observer status raised hopes again. However, when it was announced that this announcement was also related to later summits, a disappointment was experienced again. In fact, who will be invited to such summits and at what level is determined well in advance and coordinated with the relevant countries. Even though the participants may be announced at the last minute in the context of intelligence and security, those invited are determined well in advance. Unfortunately, the Turkish Foreign Ministry should have resolved this issue long before the summit. At the very least, a public statement would have predetermined public expectations in this regard. Of course, it immediately comes to mind that this issue may be overlooked due to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. But this should not happen in such a powerful organization. It is foreseen that there is a lack of communication at the strategic level.

The motto of the summit is 'Turkish Era'

It is envisaged that the motto of the Summit, 'Turkish Century', is a very appropriate choice. In the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey, 'Century of Turkey' was chosen as the motto. However, the authors of these lines have been expressing on every platform that this should actually be the 'Turkish Century'. This is because 'Turkish Century' is thought to be a more inclusive expression that also refers to the CIS members of Turkey. Because with the motto of the Turkish Century, it is thought to be more important in terms of giving the message that all CIS member countries will be in the face of possible obstacles that may be made by external factors and actors in this year. For this reason, the motto 'Turkish Century' draws attention as a term that is in line with the vision and mission of the organization.

Some of the issues included in the Final Declaration of the 10th CIS Summit: 

- Signing and entry into force of the civil protection mechanism agreement by the end of the year

- Due to the earthquake that occurred in Turkey on February 6, 2023, February 6 should be the 'Day of Remembrance and Solidarity for Disaster Victims'.

- Supporting normalization between Azerbaijan and Armenia,

- Hungary, which has observer status, welcomed the appointment of a diplomat in the CIS secretariat,

- Continued cooperation on combating terrorism and irregular migration,

- They emphasized the need to address the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine on the basis of UN resolutions, international law, the two-state solution, the declaration of an immediate ceasefire and a guarantee mechanism to protect civilians,

- That the meetings of the Presidents of the National Security Council are important for the assessment of the international security and environment and that these meetings continue,

- Closer cooperation, especially on defense industry and military issues,

- Increased economic cooperation,

- To develop the emerging opportunities on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars and China-Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Afghanistan-Pakistan (Peshawar) railroads in the central corridor,

- Establishing seamless transportation mechanisms at customs and border points to increase the competitiveness of the central corridor,

- Joint decision-making and negotiation on climate change,

- Planning various cultural events,

- Increasing institutional cooperation in the Turkic world,

It was observed that they emphasized various topics that they supported (2).

Conclusion

With the summit, the CIS has begun to take on a little more flesh and bones. As the decisions taken are implemented, the CIS will take its rightful place as a political, economic and military power center in the multipolar environment in which the world is evolving. 

Considering the decisions taken, it is foreseen that the CIS will have difficulties in following the decisions taken with the current secretariat and creating the necessary impact. For this reason, first of all, removing the current structure of the organization from the secretariat level and transforming it into an organizational structure similar to NATO, OSCE and OECD will further increase the effectiveness of the organization in the coming period.

The issue of improving defense industry and military cooperation was included in the final declaration. However, especially for the development of cooperation in the defense industry, addressing it within a special structure within the organization will accelerate the work on this issue.

Note: This is a joint article written by Asst. Prof. Dr. M. Sadık Akyar and Assoc. Prof. Hakan Arıdemir. 

Footnotes

(1) What is French leader Macron aiming for on his Central Asia trip? https://www.bbc.com/turkce/articles/c4nxg3nryxro

(2) The final declaration, which consists of 156 articles in total, is available at https://www.turkicstates.org/assets/pdf/temel_belgeler/10-zirve-bildirisi-2023-21-tr.pdf.