Chairman of the Board of Türkiye-Azerbaijan Friendship, Cooperation and Solidarity Foundation Prof. Dr. Aygün Attar wrote for AA Analysis about the importance of Azerbaijan's participation in the Central Asian Heads of State Summit as a full member for the first time for the countries in the region and for Türkiye.
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As the fault lines of global geopolitics shift, the Turkish world is silently but deeply taking historical steps that will transform centuries-old longings into a continental power. We witnessed the freshest and most concrete example of this recently, in Turkmenbashi city of Turkmenistan, on the shores of the blue waters of Avaza. The 8th Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Azerbaijan and Central Asia is not just a diplomatic routine where leaders come together, but a geopolitical revolution that institutionally seals the two banks of the Caspian.
With this summit, the "Central Asia" terminology, which separated the geography from its historical ties and spirit, has now officially become history. With the signatures signed, Azerbaijan was permanently included in this structure and a permanent "C6" (Turkistan Six) format was born on the Turkestan axis, which is the real name of the geography. The fact that Azerbaijan will take over the term presidency of this major regional mechanism in 2027 is the clearest declaration that the integration of the Caucasus and Turkestan has now entered an irreversible path.
Strategic gain for Türkiye: Shusha Declaration in the east of the Caspian
Azerbaijan's participation in this alliance as a full member undoubtedly offers the greatest geopolitical advantage to Türkiye. Because Türkiye registered its "alliance" relationship with Baku at the highest military and diplomatic level, thanks to the historical Shusha Declaration it signed with Azerbaijan. Therefore, Azerbaijan becoming a permanent part of the Turkestan alliance means that Türkiye will indirectly but extremely strongly become a part of the Turkestan countries alliance.
Ankara was directly integrated into this new "C6" architecture east of the Caspian via Shusha. While this situation reinforces Türkiye's central role in the Turkic world, it also geometrically multiplies its diplomatic, military and economic sphere of influence over Turkestan.
Logistical sovereignty and the heart of the Central Corridor
After the Ukraine-Russia War, the global trade map was redrawn. The loss of security in the Northern Corridor turned the attention of the Western world to the Central Corridor (Trans-Caspian international transportation route) extending from China to Europe. The Turkmenbashi Summit demonstrated the will to remove artificial borders, customs walls and bureaucratic obstacles on this huge line.
Not only railways and ports are synchronized here; "Digital Silk Road" is being built with fiber optic infrastructure projects passing under the Caspian Sea. This mega logistics network, combined with the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku line, is now the safest, fastest and most sustainable lifeline between the east and the west.
"Six economies, one product"
On the economic dimension, the summit shouted to the world that we are not a group of countries that only sell raw materials. The "Six economies, one product" vision agreed upon by regional leaders; It is a harbinger of cross-border industrial parks, joint investment funds and joint production chains that will compete in the global market. The Turkish world is no longer just a resource-providing market in the global economy; It claims to be a global actor that sets its own rules and produces its own added value.
From the soul in Cebeci to the east of the Caspian
History can never erase the memory of nations that were tried to be separated from each other. Let's rewind the calendar a little: In November 1921, in the Cebeci district of Ankara, during the most difficult days of the War of Independence, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk raised the flag of his brother country with his own hands at the opening of the Azerbaijani embassy. The Hope Bridge, which was opened over the Aras River in May 1992, became a lifeline for Nakhchivan under the Armenian blockade, turning the Longing Bridge into the Vuslat Bridge.
The "C6" spirit embodied in Turkmenbashi today is the centuries-old fruit of that first spark that struck in Ankara Cebeci in 1921, and that belief that has been rising in Nakhchivan since 1992. That small gate opening from Kars to Nakhchivan has today turned into a huge continental gate that crosses the Caspian Sea and extends into the depths of Turkestan geography, with the spirit of alliance of the Shusha Declaration.
In this meaningful month when we are preparing to celebrate the new age of our Republic, this strong voice rising from Turkmenbashi gives us the good news of only one thing: The 21st century is not just in words; It is officially the Turkish century in geopolitics, logistics and economy. Our bridges of brotherhood now cross not only rivers, but also seas and continents.
[Prof. Dr. Aygün Attar is the Chairman of the Board of Turkey Azerbaijan Friendship Cooperation and Solidarity Foundation.]
* The opinions expressed in the articles belong to the author and may not reflect the editorial policy of Anadolu Agency.
Reporter: Hatice Karahan
