Azerbaijan Envisions Turkic States as ‘Outstanding Worldwide Pressure’

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• At a latest summit, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev known as for the Group of Turkic States (OTS) to grow to be a serious international drive, balancing financial cooperation with the West and the preservation of conventional values.
• Leaders from different Turkic states, together with Kazakhstan and Hungary, echoed Aliyev’s sentiments, emphasizing elevated commerce and transportation hyperlinks.
• Aliyev’s push for a stronger OTS comes amidst deteriorating relations with Western nations, with the Azerbaijani chief criticizing the West whereas advocating for larger Turkic unity.

As they eagerly pursue an enlargement of commerce relations with the West, the leaders of Turkic states in Eurasia are clearly cautious of importing Western values. This dichotomy of pursuits was on full show at a latest summit of Turkic heads of state, hosted by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Aliyev, in his opening remarks on the assembly, held within the Nagorno-Karabakh city of Shusha, voiced a want for the Group of Turkic States (OTS) to grow to be an “influential international entity” able to defending regional pursuits and practices from outdoors affect. 

“The OTS ought to grow to be one of many outstanding worldwide forces,” Aliyev mentioned. “The dedication of our peoples to conventional values and their shared ethnic roots carefully bind our nations. The twenty first century should be a century of progress for the Turkic world.”

After lauding conventional values and shared heritage, nonetheless, Aliyev emphasised the significance of boosting commerce, saying “the enlargement of the East-West transport hall is certainly one of our high priorities.”

His sentiments have been echoed by different members, together with Kazakhstan’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who informed attendees that “the complete potential of the Trans-Caspian worldwide transport route should be utilized.”

The OTS contains Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Uzbekistan. Three different nations, Hungary, Turkmenistan and the de facto Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, have observer standing. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who attended the Shusha summit, described the OTS as a “crucial group for cooperation between the West and East.”

Aliyev urged his fellow heads of state to indicate larger dedication to the OTS through elevated funds allocations. Azerbaijan just lately contributed $2 million to reinforce the OTS secretariat.

The Azerbaijani chief’s efforts to bolster the OTS come at a time when Baku’s relations with the West have deteriorated. Over the previous 12 months, Aliyev and different high Azerbaijani officers haven’t hesitated to air grievances towards the U.S., France and top European bodies. In his inaugural handle in February, Aliyev signaled additional divergence from the West, talking exultantly about pan-Turkic cooperation. 

Aliyev might need to be an necessary commerce associate with the West, however he clearly will not be going to be a buddy.

“Ought to everybody sit and take heed to the phrases of those that reside in some Western nations? Who has given them this proper? Their previous is nothing to be happy with. Their previous is stuffed with blood. Their previous is colonialism,” he mentioned in public feedback made in June. “We don’t take heed to anybody’s orders; we don’t enable anybody to come back right here and intervene in our work. Don’t hit me and I gained’t hit you. If you’re going to hit me, then additionally, you will get a headache.”

By Eurasianet.org

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