Turkic States Back Azerbaijan-Georgia-Türkiye-Bulgaria Energy Corridor in Ankara Declaration

Leaders of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) adopted a 163-point Ankara Declaration at their 13th summit in Ankara on 30 October, backing a new energy corridor linking Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye and Bulgaria and pledging to strengthen the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor that runs through the South Caucasus.

The summit was chaired by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Türkiye took over the organisation's rotating chairmanship, Daily Sabah reported. The OTS has five members: Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Azerbaijan was represented by Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. Turkmenistan, an observer, sent President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, who left for Türkiye on 29 October to take part in the summit, according to Turkmenistan's state news agency TDH.

Energy corridors through Georgia

In the declaration, the leaders stressed the role of Turkic states in regional and global energy security through existing and planned infrastructure, naming the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and the Southern Gas Corridor, Bulgaria's BTA news agency reported after the text was published on the organisation's website. They welcomed progress on the Central Asia-Azerbaijan Green Energy Corridor, which involves Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and expressed support for the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Türkiye-Bulgaria corridor and the Caspian Sea-Black Sea-Europe Green Energy Corridor.

A new power connection between Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye and Bulgaria through power cables was also discussed on 15 September by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Bayramov, BTA noted. CBJ reported on 25 October that the cost of the Caspian Sea-Black Sea-Europe link was put at €22.1bn.

Railways, customs and ferries

Transport takes a large share of the text. The leaders pledged to make full use of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway linking Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye, to develop the Zangezur Corridor and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, and to connect these routes to the Middle Corridor. The declaration also calls for the Trans-Afghan Corridor project, an OTS Transport Corridors Strategy, and measures to improve border crossings and ferry connections along the Middle Corridor and cut freight delivery times, according to BTA.

On trade, the declaration highlights harmonised production standards and closer customs cooperation, supports digitalisation, and encourages mechanisms to speed up customs procedures and border checks for agricultural products, BTA reported. Member states backed more investment through the Turkic Investment Fund and efforts to simplify customs procedures and expand digital trade, Daily Sabah reported.

Freight figures from Kazakhstan

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told the summit that freight volumes on the Middle Corridor rose by 30% in the first nine months of the year and transit shipments by 90%, while rail freight between Kazakhstan and OTS countries approached 40 million tonnes, Euronews reported. Euronews also noted that Türkiye took the chair from Azerbaijan. Turkmenistan's president said his country was ready to use the infrastructure of its Turkmenbashi port to expand transit across the Caspian Sea.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed a "Turkic World - 100" programme of 100 strategic joint investment and industrial projects, with priority for the full processing of rare and strategic minerals and local production of equipment for green energy. He also called for turning the Middle Corridor and connected routes into an integrated economic system supported by jointly managed logistics hubs. Ahead of the summit, Erdoğan and Tokayev reaffirmed an ambition to raise bilateral trade to $15bn, and Türkiye and Uzbekistan signed agreements that include a High-Level Business Support Council and wider preferential trade arrangements.

What it means for business in the region

For Georgian and Azerbaijani rail, port and pipeline operators, the declaration puts the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars line and the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Türkiye-Bulgaria energy corridor on the shared agenda of the five member governments. Freight forwarders will watch whether the promised Transport Corridors Strategy and ferry measures turn into common rules at Caspian and Black Sea crossings. Euronews noted that port capacity, border procedures and infrastructure gaps remain significant constraints on the route. CBJ has covered how Kazakhstan and Georgia are working to expand capacity on the route.

Uzbekistan will host the 14th OTS summit in 2027, and Kyrgyzstan has offered to host an informal summit the same year. The summit named Uzbekistan's Mirvokhid Azimov as the incoming OTS secretary general.