Expert: Central Asia+Azerbaijan format set to expand further

The Central Asia+Azerbaijan cooperation format will continue to strengthen and is expected to grow even wider in the future, said Mehmet Seyfettin Erol, Director of the Ankara Center for Crisis and Policy Studies (ANKASAM), at the First Shusha Forum of Azerbaijani and Turkish think tanks, Report informs.

Erol emphasized that the geopolitical standing of Azerbaijan and Türkiye has significantly improved following the Second Karabakh War:

"Azerbaijan and Türkiye now hold a leading role in the Turkic world, and their deterrent military capabilities are extremely important. Without Azerbaijan and Türkiye, the integration of the Turkic world and Central Asia would not be possible. Today, the self-confidence of the Turkic world has grown considerably. The psychological landscape regarding Russia has also shifted, giving Central Asian states greater room to act independently, particularly in the context of Russia–China dynamics."

He noted that the Central Asia+Azerbaijan framework is becoming increasingly influential and will likely evolve further:

"We can already see this format paving the way for extensions that may even include South Asia. This is a highly significant development. The emerging regional restructuring and a more predictable political environment are crucial for advancing integration within the Organization of Turkic States."