Azerbaijan's Shusha hosts discussions on integration perspectives within OTS

As part of the first Azerbaijan–Türkiye Think Tank Forum, hosted in Shusha, a panel session was held on the topic "Deepening Azerbaijan–Türkiye Cooperation: Integration Perspectives within the Organization of Turkic States (OTS)."

According to Report, Chairman of the Board of the Center for Social Research Zahid Oruj stated during the panel that in a period of growing military‑political conflicts, international security crises, and rising risks, the unified platform connecting Azerbaijani and Turkish think tanks responds to global challenges:

"It is crucial to unite the intellectual power of the Turkic world to create a common strategic force against global uncertainties. The future of countries should not be determined by imported ideas. Today, the Turkic world strengthens its political, economic, cultural, and military unity through the Shusha, Astana, Bishkek, and Karabakh declarations, signing roadmaps for the future. Unlike others, the Turkic world is not an artificial ideological‑political union created to gather nations under one umbrella, but rather the transfer of shared historical and cultural spirit into the new millennium - an expression of Turkic geopolitics, the Turkic pole."

Asma Özdaşlı, Director of the Ismail Gaspirali Institute of Foreign Policy, emphasized that Türkiye has invested heavily in nationalizing its defense industry due to biased approaches from the West:

"Currently, 81% of Türkiye's defense industry products are domestically produced. Amid global tensions, the strengthening of Türkiye's defense industry and the development of modern weapons systems have become an important factor for the region. The successful use of Turkish drones in many conflict zones has further enhanced Türkiye's global position. However, Türkiye has faced Western sanctions for operations carried out with its national industry. For example, after the 2019 ‘Peace Spring" operation in Syria, Germany and other Western countries imposed sanctions on Türkiye. In contrast, when the same military equipment was used in Ukraine, it was welcomed. This shows the double standards applied by the West against Türkiye."

Yaşar Sarı, Director of the Heydar Aliyev Center for Eurasian Studies at Ibn Haldun University, spoke about the importance of collective security in the Turkic world:

"It is vital for Turkic states to have a power center they can rely on when facing challenges. This need can be seen as one of the results of the Karabakh victory.

Additionally, establishing new universities within OTS member states and implementing inter‑university exchanges are also important issues."

Farhad Mammadov, Director of the Center for South Caucasus Studies, highlighted the growing interest in the region:

"Interest in the region has increased due to factors beyond our control. The Organization of Turkic States was created without any foreign sponsors and takes integration‑oriented steps independently of external factors. As Azerbaijan moves closer to Central Asia, it positively influences OTS. Our country plays the role of a bridge. Cooperation in various spheres cannot succeed without our involvement, so we will expand economic development as much as possible. Although interest in the organization is growing, many forces, especially the European Union, are not ready to acknowledge it. As we continue on our path, the organization will grow stronger and may eventually evolve into a military and economic union."