In her recent analysis, Dilorum Mamatkulova, a leading researcher at the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan, explores the deepening strategic partnership between Turkey and Central Asia. She emphasizes that this cooperation, based on historical and cultural ties as well as mutual economic interests, creates a new architecture for regional integration:
“The parties aim to develop multilateral formats and bilateral initiatives, creating a reliable platform for interaction in areas such as trade, energy, transport, and ecology, thereby turning geographical proximity into a guarantee of long-term stability and joint progress.”
This partnership, considering the diversification of the foreign policy directions of Central Asian countries and the activation of Turkey's Eurasian diplomacy, takes on a systemic character, going beyond specific projects and forming a sustainable architecture of interconnectedness in the region.
Political foundation for cooperation
The Organization of Turkic States (OTS) has become an important tool for political interaction, transforming from a cultural association into a significant center of influence from Central Asia to the Caucasus and Europe. Regular summits of the heads of state of the OTS confirm the transition to a more practical phase of cooperation. Uzbekistan and its president Shavkat Mirziyoyev play an important role here, actively advocating for deepening interaction within the OTS.
At the October summit in Gabala (Azerbaijan) in 2025, Mirziyoyev proposed developing a strategy for the OTS's development until 2030 and creating a Permanent Council for Economic Partnership based in Tashkent. These initiatives aim to coordinate economic projects and support business initiatives, highlighting Uzbekistan's goal of becoming a center for regional integration and sustainable development.
Turkey is also intensifying its participation in other multilateral initiatives related to Central Asia, such as the CICA and SCO, seeking full membership. The diversity of cooperation formats allows for the adaptation of the agenda to specific tasks, including security issues and coordination of transport routes.
The meeting of the Joint Strategic Planning Group, held on January 20, 2026, co-chaired by the foreign ministers of Uzbekistan and Turkey, confirmed the intention to deepen coordination within the UN, OSCE, OIC, and EAEU, as well as to support each other's candidacies in international structures. This creates a foundation for a global diplomatic strategy, within which support on the international stage becomes a mutual asset.
Economic cooperation: from trade to investments
Since 2018, trade turnover between Central Asia and Ankara has doubled, reaching $14.5 billion in 2025 compared to $6 billion. Turkey aims to achieve $30 billion in bilateral trade with the countries of the region.
Investment activity shows even more impressive results. From 2016 to 2024, the volume of Turkish investments in the region increased 2.5 times—from $1.1 billion to $3 billion, significantly exceeding the overall growth rate of Turkish investments in the Eurasian space during the same period (34%). Central Asia accounts for 24% of the total volume of accumulated Turkish investments in Eurasia. The number of Turkish companies in the region has grown from 4,000 in 2016 to over 7,000 in 2025, with Turkey ranking third among investors in Uzbekistan after China and Russia, having more than 2,000 enterprises (including 438 joint ventures).
Turkish companies are transitioning from small operations to implementing large infrastructure projects in construction, telecommunications, textiles, and the agro-industrial sector. Within the OTS framework, important documents such as the "Strategy-2026" and "Strategy-2040" have been adopted, which foresee the creation of a common economic space, including a unified energy system and a regional development bank. Uzbekistan's initiatives to expand the activities of the Turkic Investment Fund and adopt the "OTS Roadmap for Artificial Intelligence and the Creative Economy" indicate a shift towards high-tech cooperation.
Energy complementarity: hydrocarbons and "green" transformation
Central Asia possesses rich hydrocarbon reserves: Kazakhstan has 30 billion barrels of oil, Turkmenistan ranks fifth in the world in gas reserves, and Uzbekistan has large undeveloped fields. At the same time, Turkey aims to become an energy hub, providing countries in the region with access to the European market amid decarbonization and reduced dependence on Russian supplies.
The Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline was originally intended for the supply of Azerbaijani oil but has now become a trans-Caspian export route. Kazakhstan began oil supplies via this route in 2008, and Turkmenistan in 2010.
Negotiations are also underway for the export of Turkmen gas through the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP), with plans to double its capacity from 16 to 32 billion cubic meters.
Additionally, the countries in the region are actively transitioning to renewable energy sources. The Turkish holding "Cengiz" has completed the construction of two power plants with a total capacity of 460 MW in Tashkent and Syrdarya regions, and continues the construction of a plant with a capacity of over 500 MW in Jizzakh region. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan have significant potential for both domestic production of "green" energy and its export.
The culmination of this direction is the Trans-Caspian Green Energy Corridor project. This initiative, developed by the Green Corridor Alliance (a joint Kazakh-Uzbek-Azerbaijani enterprise) with the support of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, will connect the electricity grids of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan with Azerbaijan across the Caspian Sea, allowing for the export of electricity to Turkey and Europe. A strategic partnership agreement for this project was signed by the three countries at COP29 in Baku in 2024.
The Middle Corridor: a key artery of development
The Trans-Caspian route (Middle Corridor) has become a strategically important alternative transport artery connecting China with Europe through Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus, and Turkey. It is expected that by 2030, the volume of cargo transportation along this route will double, strengthening the economic interdependence of the participants and enhancing their geostrategic significance.
Uzbekistan actively supports the development of the Middle Corridor, viewing it as a factor for sustainable growth of the regional economy. The infrastructure interdependence created by this project provides long-term incentives for stability in relations between Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Turkey, turning transport cooperation into a tool for strengthening regional security.
Cultural and humanitarian cooperation: the foundation of sustainable partnership
Historical and cultural ties, based on a common Turkic heritage, remain the foundation of contemporary cooperation. The parties continue to develop educational programs within the framework of the "Turkic World" concept. Several universities operate in Central Asia, such as the International Turkic States University and the Turkish University of Economics and Technology. The increase in the number of scholarships for students from Uzbekistan under the "Türkiye Bursları" program and the development of joint scholarship programs facilitate exchanges in science and culture, forming sustainable ties between the peoples of Turkey and Central Asia.
Digital cooperation is also becoming an important element. Joint projects in artificial intelligence, digitalization of public administration, and development of creative industries open new opportunities for engagement. The increase in tourist flows and media exchanges contributes to the creation of a unified information and communication space, which is especially relevant in the context of global information competition.
Thus, the partnership between Central Asia and Turkey demonstrates a transition from situational interaction to a systemic model of cooperation based on the complementarity of resources, infrastructures, and strategic interests. Turkey gains access to energy resources and transit routes, strengthening its status as a Eurasian hub, while Central Asian countries diversify their foreign policy and economic ties, enhancing their autonomy and competitiveness.
The prospects of this partnership are defined by three key directions: deepening economic integration through the OTS and bilateral agreements; joint implementation of cross-border infrastructure projects in energy and transport; and the development of "green" and digital agendas as the basis for sustainable development.
To successfully accomplish these tasks, continuous dialogue, alignment of regulatory frameworks, and strengthening of trust between the parties are necessary. However, it is already clear that the cooperation between Central Asia and Turkey creates a reliable platform for regional stability and joint prosperity in a multipolar world.
