Turkic world has become 'center of global geopolitics,' says Turkish foreign minister

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - Global developments have once again made the Turkic world the globe’s geopolitical hub, said Türkiye’s foreign minister on Monday.

"Today, the Turkic world has become the center of global geopolitics, just as it was in history. We have a critical position connecting the East and the West, the North and the South on energy, trade, and transportation routes," said Mevlut Cavusoglu at an extraordinary meeting of foreign ministers of Organization of Turkic States member states.

Saying that the Turkic region's importance for global stability and prosperity has risen even further amid ongoing global crises, Cavusoglu added that Turkic states must present a "strong vision for the future" while working to prevent crises.

Amid the war in Ukraine, Cavusoglu stressed that global stability and prosperity are under threat as rising energy and food prices continue to plague countries worldwide.

"The way to turn our region into an island of stability while increasing the welfare of our nations is by strengthening our unity. The way to strengthen our unity is to take the right steps at the right time with courage," he argued.

Formed in 2009, the Organization of Turkic States promotes cooperation among Turkic-speaking states, including member states Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan, with Hungary and Turkmenistan as observers.

Next month Samarkand, Uzbekistan is due to host a summit of the Organization of Turkic States summit attended by member state leaders.

For his part, Binali Yildirim, chairman of the Council of Elders of the Organization of Turkic States, stressed the importance of developing relations between the group’s member states.

Yildirim, a one-time Turkish prime minister, also expressed the need for the Middle Corridor to boost the integration of transport and communication infrastructures of member states.

Also called the Trans-Caspian East-West Middle Corridor Initiative, the network of railways and roads starts in Türkiye and covers Georgia, Azerbaijan, the Caspian Sea, and Central Asia to reach China, making it an important effort to revive the ancient Silk Road.

Saying that the corridor is not only a historically important trade route, Yildirim said it is economically faster and more profitable than other such routes.

"Russia's war waged on Ukraine once again showed that this corridor continues to be the best-working and safest corridor," he added.