Ankara Summit and 17 Years of Institutional Development of TDT

Assoc. Prof. Head of the National Intelligence Academy Security Research Department. Dr. Muhammet Koçak wrote about the 17-year institutional development and economic and geopolitical expansion of the Organization of Turkish States for AA Analysis.

Ankara will host the annual summit of the Organization of Turkish States (TDT) on October 29-30. Foreign ministers will meet on October 29 and leaders on October 30. This meeting, which coincides with the 17th anniversary of the Organization established in 2009, provides a strong basis for discussing the steps to be taken from now on as well as remembering the work left behind. During this period, TDT has turned into a platform where members respect each other and deepen mutually beneficial collaborations. What is expected from the Ankara Summit regarding this structure, whose regional and international weight increases with each passing year, is to initiate processes that will take relations to the next level.

From Nakhchivan to today: Trade, logistics and digital integration

Since the founding agreement of the Turkic Council signed in Nakhchivan, the Organization has been instrumental in the expansion and deepening of relations between the Turkic states. TDT, which grew with the participation of Uzbekistan in 2019 and took its current name in 2021 and entered the international stage, has transformed the common past into regular contacts, institutional structures and concrete projects. The efforts of the Turkish republics, who have strengthened their own states since their independence, and the continuity that Turkey has brought to these relations have been the biggest driving force of the process. Thanks to the meetings between heads of state accompanied by the work of ministries, universities and business circles, relations have gained momentum in a wide range of areas, from economy to tourism, from security to education and culture.

The economic picture also shows this transformation in clear numbers. The total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of member and observer countries exceeded 2.4 trillion dollars, and the foreign trade volume exceeded 1.27 trillion dollars. Average growth last year was above the global average. While Turkey's trade with member countries was 871 million dollars in 2002, it increased to 16.9 billion dollars at the end of 2025, and as of July 2026, the annualized volume with members and observers reached 27.8 billion dollars. One of the main goals of the Organization is to reflect the total economic size more strongly in the internal trade between members in the coming period.

The steps taken in recent years directly aim to close this gap. The entry into force of the Simplified Customs Corridor Agreement in November 2024 facilitated trade. e-Permit application has eased the document burden in transportation. The signing of the first financing agreement by the Turkish Investment Fund, together with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), providing a loan of up to 10 million dollars to KMF Bank in Kazakhstan in July 2026, was a critical threshold. This step, which aims to provide small businesses with access to finance, shows that the fund has now turned into a working concrete tool. The Middle Lane completes this picture. The load on the line exceeded 4 million tons in 2025, and in the first 8 months of 2026, transportation increased by 22 percent compared to the previous year. The "Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development" vision, adopted at the Turkestan Summit in May 2026, prepares the Middle Corridor for the future with digital customs integration, e-CMR applications and common data infrastructure. The simultaneous strengthening of the transportation and data lines of the Turkish world will provide the real strategic gain by expanding domestic trade.

Global initiative and geopolitical balance: TDT+ vision

The TDT+ format, launched at the 2025 Gabala Summit, became the platform's gateway to the outside world. The ability to work with third parties in the fields of investment, technology, education and transportation shows that the Organization is not a closed bloc. While Hungary's observer position and the Budapest unofficial summit in 2025 serve as a bridge towards Europe, Japan's high-level talks with the TDT Secretariat in 2026 are a concrete example of the interest from East Asia. The emphasis on gaining observer status in the UN General Assembly at the last meeting of foreign ministers in New York is also part of this global initiative.

The Organization, which can form an uninterrupted line in the geography stretching from Asia to Europe, is also in the spotlight of regional and global powers. For Moscow, the diversified relations of its partners in Central Asia, for Beijing, the commercial opportunities of east-west connections, and for Tehran, transportation arrangements in the South Caucasus come to the fore. Europe is also increasing its interest in the Turkish states, which stand out with their safe trade routes and rich resources. The geoeconomic impact of the Organization, which increases its regional weight with a realistic but assertive strategy, will also continue to grow. The Organization, which includes members of NATO, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), does not have a negative position towards third countries or organizations. On the contrary, members aim to strengthen cooperation among themselves while maintaining their existing foreign relations.

Ankara Summit and future vision

The summit in Ankara is a perfect ground to carry all this knowledge forward. The transfer of the term presidency from Azerbaijan to Turkey, the renewal of the general secretariat and the shaping of the comprehensive strategy document for the 2027-2031 period make hosting more than an ordinary calendar item. The fact that the 103rd anniversary of the Republic coincides with the leaders of the Turkish world in the same capital adds a different meaning to this picture. Expanding customs facilities, completing the secondary transactions of the fund, establishing the return load balance in the Middle Corridor, and concretizing the digital and artificial intelligence projects whose foundations were laid in Turkestan are the main outputs expected from the summit. Turkey's main responsibility during the term presidency will go beyond increasing visibility and meticulously follow-up the decisions taken.

At the end of 17 years, Turkish states have a greater place in each other's future than ever before. What is celebrated is not just an anniversary but also the institutionalization of mutual respect and common interests. The main task from now on is to ensure that the will expressed at the summits spreads further to the grassroots. The ownership of the process by ministries, universities, business circles and civil society will make it easier for the closeness at the leadership level to be reciprocated by societies. As student mobility, co-production and intercity contacts increase, this platform will touch the daily lives of young people, entrepreneurs and societies. As the Turkish world produces together and deepens solidarity, it will become a much stronger actor in international politics.