The first informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States took place in Budapest on 20-21 May. Hungary has been an observer in the inter-state cooperation since 2018, and expanding cooperation with the countries of West and Central Asia has been a priority for even longer as part of the 2011 Eastern Opening foreign economic strategy. Founded in 2009, the organisation’s objectives include the creation of a cultural space and a unified geopolitical and geo-economic background. In addition to the functioning of the organisation, this analysis will also look at Hungary’s economic relations with the countries concerned, taking into account the foreign trade relations growing from year to year.
The Organization of Turkic States
The creation of the Organization of Turkic States had been preceded by many years of meaningful cooperation between the countries of the region. The first step towards cooperation was the First Assembly of Turkic Speaking States, which took place on 30 October 1992 in Ankara (Türkkon, 2025). A year later, TÜRKSOY (International Turkish Cultural Organisation) was founded as part of the Almaty Cooperation. From 1994 to 2010, the Assembly of Turkic Speaking States was held every year, creating an opportunity for dialogue and increased cooperation between its members (Türkkon, 2025). In 2008, TURKPA was signed in Istanbul, followed by the Nakhchivan Agreement in 2009, which created the Organization of Turkic States as we know it today (Nakhchivan Agreement, 2009).
The UN-registered intergovernmental organisation was established on 3 October 2009 in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan. Founded as the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States (also known as the Turkic Council), it was renamed the Organization of Turkic States at the Istanbul Summit in 2021 (Türkkon, 2025). The organisation is based in Istanbul. In addition to its four founding member states – Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey –, Uzbekistan joined in 2019. Hungary has been an observer state since 2018, Turkmenistan since 2021, and Northern Cyprus, recognised by Turkey, has been an observer since 2022 (Türkkon, 2025).
Its organisational structure corresponds to that of a traditional intergovernmental organisation. Its main fora are the Council of Heads of State and Government and the Council of Foreign Ministers. The organisational hierarchy also includes the Committee of Senior Officials and the Council of Wise Men.
Figure 1: GDP figures for the Organization of Turkic States member states in 2023. Source of data: UNCTAD, 2025.
The graph also shows that the economic dynamics of the member states within the organisation differ, but this does not negatively affect their contribution to the common goals. The priorities of the organisation are set out in its founding document, the Nakhchivan Convention:
- strengthening trust and friendship between member states,
- developing a near convergence of views and interests on foreign policy and geopolitical issues, and the coordination of interests,
- the joint fight against international terrorism, separatism, extremism and cross-border crime,
- effective regional and mutual cooperation,
- creating the right environment for deepening investment and trade relations between member states,
- achieving broad and balanced economic growth as well as social and cultural development in the member states,
- cooperation in science, technology, sport, education, health, culture and tourism,
- encouraging interaction between mass media and other forms of communication,
- sharing legal information between member states and developing higher level legal cooperation.
In addition to its goals, the Organization of Turkic States also set out a mission when it was founded. Its origins go back to the early stages of history, linked to the common origin of the Turkic states and their importance. After the founding day, 3 October was declared by the member states as the Day of Turkish Cooperation and Unity (Türkkon, 2025).
To achieve the priorities and objectives listed above, the Organization of Turkic States plays an important coordinating role in the cooperation between the parliaments, governments, ministries, chambers of commerce and industry, academies of science and universities of the member states (Türkkon, 2025). In addition to the existing fora, the Turkish Investment Fund provides assistance and support to overcome economic disparities in the region and to create Turkish cohesion.
The last summit took place in November 2024 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The high-level meeting focused on strengthening the Turkic world and covered areas such as economic integration, sustainable development, digital future and expanding security. During the meeting, the parties adopted the Charter of the Turkic World and signed the Bishkek Declaration. According to the latter document, Bishkek has been given the opportunity to be the digital capital of the organization in 2025 (Veres, 2024). The decision and the declaration clearly state the long-term goals of the Organization of Turkic States, with a focus on digital transformation and technological innovation (Veres, 2024). The other agreement of similar importance, the Charter of the Turkic World, provides a commitment to the medium and long-term plans of the members among themselves (Veres, 2024). On economic issues, several agreements were reached between the parties in Bishkek:
- Digital Economic Partnership Agreement – developing digital trade and connectivity between member states;
- Civil Protection Mechanism Agreement – strengthening joint disaster management cooperation;
- Memorandum of Understanding on space activities – promoting space technology cooperation between members;
- Turkic Green Finance Council – supporting sustainable economic growth and green investment;
- Council of the central (national) banks of the Turkic states – deepening financial integration between the parties (Eurasia Magazine, 2025).
During the meeting in Bishkek, plans for the organisation’s anthem and flag were also discussed, which strengthen the unity of the formation and its collective sense of identity.
In order to deepen economic integration within the Organization of Turkic States, further measures were adopted, some of which are organisational and others project-oriented:
- Turkic Chamber of Commerce and Industry – plays a key role in promoting trade, investment and industrial partnerships between member states;
- Turkic Investment Fund – launched with USD 500 million in capital, the fund has been expanded by a further USD 100 million to serve as a financial institution to support small and medium-sized enterprises and promote regional economic development;
- Trade Facilitation Committee – aims to simplify customs procedures and improve business conditions in member states;
- Infrastructure projects – including the Trans-Caspian International East-West Central Corridor (Central Corridor), which provides a faster and more efficient trade route between Europe and Asia. The project reduces transport times by a factor of three compared to sea routes. Another strategic project, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, significantly increases the region’s trade capacity (Turkic States, 2024a).
Figure 2: Total external trade of the Organization of Turkic States member states and with individual member states in 2023 (in million USD). Source: OEC World, 2025.
Enhancing economic and trade cooperation between the member states of the Organization of Turkic States is important for several reasons. On the one hand, expanding their own trade in goods is worthwhile in the long run, and on the other hand, because of their geographical proximity, export-import trade between them can bring financial benefits as well as strengthen business ties. Based on 2023 data, Turkey’s foreign trade was the most significant among the permanent member states, generating a turnover of USD 272,000 million on the goods export side and USD 337,000 million on the goods import side (OEC World, 2025a). Turkey is a stable trading partner regionally but is also one of the largest exporters and importers within the organisation. Based on currently available data for 2023, the trade in goods between member states within the organisation is 6.7% on the export side and 6.04% on the import side of their total own trade in goods (OEC World, 2025). The long-term goal is to increase this ratio to at least above 10%, i.e. to increase the share of the OTS states in their total external trade by increasing trade between each other. To achieve this, member states have adopted trade facilitation measures.
Cultural relations, strengthening international influence
In its founding document, the organisation set the strengthening and deepening of cultural relations between member states as a fundamental task. The common historical past and identity between the Turkic states creates an opportunity to organise and develop cultural and educational objectives in the member states along these lines. More than 100 universities participate in the Union of Turkic Universities initiative. Its aim is to promote academic mobility between member countries and the standardisation of education systems (Türkkon, 2025). Academic collaboration also includes academic cooperation, which further strengthens cultural and educational links between member states. Through student exchange programmes, students from Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkey can choose from a wide range of universities for their partial studies abroad.
In the area of cultural cooperation, the World Nomad Games (WNG), initiated by Kyrgyzstan, is worth highlighting. It was launched by the Kyrgyz government in 2012 to revive and preserve the culture of nomadic civilisation. The organiser is the government of the Kyrgyz Republic, together with the World Ethnogames Confederation (NVESZ, 2025). The first World Nomad Games were held between 9-14 September 2014 in Cholpon-Ata, Issyk-Kul province, Kyrgyzstan. A total of 583 athletes from 19 countries participated in competitions in 10 different sports, as well as an additional 1,200 participants in cultural programmes. Television coverage of the World Nomad Games reached 230 million viewers (NVESZ, 2025).
Further important joint events in the life of the organisation are the Turkic Silk Road and Tabarruk Ziyarat. Through the Turkic Silk Road project, foreign tourists can experience the historical values of the five founding countries’ tourist attractions. Tours along the former Silk Road offer the opportunity to learn more about the culture of a country (Turkic Silk Road, 2025). The Tabarruk Ziyarat project aims to boost tourism by promoting the historical, spiritual and cultural heritage of the Turkic-Islamic civilisation in the organisation’s member and observer states (Turkic States, 2024b).
Although the Organization of Turkic States is still not very visible on the international stage, its economic and trade cooperation is attracting the interest of a growing number of states. It has developed strong and stable partnerships with most global international organisations, in particular with specialised UN agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and UN-Habitat. It has also begun to build relations with ASEAN countries and the international organisation, the OSCE, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the African Union (Eurázsia Magazin, 2025). The diversity of organisations shows the broadest possible range of diplomatic relations that the Organization of Turkic States has begun to develop in recent years. This type of differentiation can strengthen the influence of the Turkic states in the larger international organisations.
All in all, the Organization of Turkic States is a cooperation with modern goals but based on a historical tradition, which is gaining ground among the states of the Central and West Asian region. Its long-term objectives include not only traditional forms of cooperation, but also issues such as the expansion of trade and economic relations, sustainability and green financial solutions. It has a significant presence in the cultural and educational fields too, and is steadily expanding its international influence, notably through global and regional international organisations.
Hungary and the Organization of Turkic States
Over the past decade and a half, Hungary has started to develop an increasingly active foreign policy with the Central Asian countries. The region was also included in the 2011 Eastern Opening foreign economic strategy, which aimed to diversify trade partnerships and foreign investment (Szigethy-Ambrus, 2023). All states in the region have achieved significant economic growth over the past decade, including Uzbekistan, which has become one of the region’s most important business centres. All these achievements have contributed to Hungary’s increasing cooperation with Central Asian countries, especially in economic and trade areas. The energy crisis caused by the Russian-Ukrainian war of 2022 further underlined the monopoly nature of European, and therefore Hungarian, energy supplies, and Hungarian-Turkish and Hungarian-Azeri cooperation has therefore largely focused on ensuring energy security.
The cooperation between the Hungarian-Turkic states was further deepened when Hungary was granted observer status at the Kyrgyzstan summit in 2018 (Türkkon, 2025). This status does not mean full membership, but Hungary has nevertheless become an active participant in strengthening economic, political and cultural relations within the organisation. Through its representative office in Budapest, the Organization of Turkic States provides Hungarian businesspeople and investors with first-hand information on opportunities in Central Asia, as well as a bridge for cultural and political cooperation between the two regions.
Hungary, as an observer state, also emphasises the expansion of trade relations with the members of the organisation.
Figure 3: Hungary’s trade in goods with the members of the Organization of Turkic States in 2023 (in million USD). Source: OEC World, 2025b.
Turkey’s role in trade in goods with Hungary is also prominent, as has been seen in trade between member states. The value of Hungarian exports to Turkey reached more than USD 2.5 billion in 2023, while imports to Hungary were USD 1.7 billion (OEC World, 2025b). Our foreign trade with member countries is characterised by Hungarian surplus, with only the Kazakh relation being an exception (OEC World, 2025b). Hungary’s main exports to Organization of Turkic States member countries are mainly vehicles and transport equipment (Turkey), pharmaceuticals (Turkey, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan), food products (Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan) and electronic equipment (Turkey, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan) (OEC World, 2025b). Energy (Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan), metal products (Turkey) and electronic equipment (Turkey) account for a significant share of Hungarian imports (OEC World, 2025b). In 2023, the value of Hungarian goods exports to the five founding member states reached USD 2,944.4 million, while imports amounted to USD 2,151 million (OEC World, 2025b). Hungarian exports to the countries mentioned above show an increasing trend year by year, which also reflects the deepening relationship with the Organization of Turkic States.
Bilateral meetings between Hungary and the member states are held regularly to further strengthen trade relations. One of the most recent such events took place in Budapest between 17-20 March 2025, where Kazakhstan’s Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliev held discussions with his Hungarian counterparts on exports and investment between the two countries (Veres, 2025). During the bilateral meeting, the Kazakh side underlined that there is significant potential for expanding bilateral cooperation between Kazakhstan and Hungary, as evidenced by the fact that the volume of mutual trade between the two countries has reached USD 200 million in 24 years. One of the significant results of the Kazakh delegation’s stay in the Hungarian capital was the establishment of a partner office in Hungary within the framework of QazTrade, which will be responsible for the promotion of Kazakh products in Hungary and European markets (Veres, 2025). In addition, the representatives of the Kazakh delegation signed agreements with the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Hungarian Export Promotion Agency (HEPA) to further strengthen Kazakh-Hungarian trade relations (Veres, 2025).
Hungary has a similarly good relationship with Turkey, and in addition to economic and trade issues, there are frequent political consultations as well. On 11 November 2024, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya visited Budapest to meet with Interior Minister Sándor Pintér (Kormány, 2024a). During the meeting, the parties agreed that the Budapest Process Ministerial Conference is of particular importance for both countries, as Hungary, alongside Turkey’s presidency, is co-chairing the Budapest Process, which was launched in 1993 (Kormány, 2024a). The further deepening of cooperation between the two countries in the field of law and order, the enhanced protection of external borders, illegal migration, asylum, as well as the fight against terrorism and illegal border violations are priorities for their countries.
Hungarian cooperation with Uzbekistan also goes beyond the cooperations already mentioned. The most promising sectors for cooperation include agriculture and food, energy, construction, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó highlighted during a 2024 Hungarian-Uzbek consultation that flagship projects are a great help in developing relations. The presence of OTP in Uzbekistan is one such project, and it is also a big step forward that investments by Hungarian pharmaceutical and food companies are under preparation (Kormány, 2024b). He also stressed the importance of the infrastructure and financial background, and underlined that the Uzbek government is setting up a special investment area of 50 hectares for Hungarian companies. He also said that Hungary is ready to increase the financing of the Central Asia investment fund from USD 50 million to USD 150 million (Kormány, 2024b).
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Bakit Torobayev held talks in Budapest on 17 January 2025. During the press conference following the meeting, the parties confirmed further economic, trade and cultural cooperation, and it was announced that Hungary will contribute another USD 34 million to the joint Hungarian-Kyrgyz development fund, which was previously established with USD 16 million in capital, which supported the market entry and investment of four Hungarian companies in Kyrgyzstan (Kormány, 2025). By raising additional funds, the aim is to promote the further development of bilateral economic relations, supporting Hungarian agricultural, food and water management companies (Kormány, 2025).
Finally, we turn to the state of Hungarian-Azeri relations. At the Hungarian-Azerbaijani Business Forum held in Baku in April 2024, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó highlighted the success of joint projects and the effectiveness of cooperation (Kormány, 2024c). He called agricultural cooperation a success story, partly due to the partnership between agricultural universities. In this context, he also pointed out that 200 Azeri students a year can study at Hungarian universities on scholarships, which is an excellent basis for strengthening people-to-people contacts (Kormány, 2024c). At the forum, the Hungarian foreign minister also highlighted the presence of MVM and Mol in the South Caucasus country, as well as the contract manufacturing agreement signed by Richter, under which 90 medicines will be produced there (Kormány, 2024c). In addition, energy cooperation has contributed greatly to Hungary’s security of supply. In this context, Péter Szijjártó described the start of Azeri natural gas supplies to Hungary as an important milestone, and said that the start of transit this year could allow an increase in the volumes purchased, to which both sides are open (Kormány, 2024d).
Overall, Hungary has sought to develop the best possible relations with the Organization of Turkic States over the past decade and a half. Frequent bilateral consultations, cooperation in a wide range of areas and their results confirm that this foreign policy decision was the right one. The region is becoming increasingly important, not only in relation to Central Asia but also European countries, so Hungary has a head start over states that are only just beginning to establish closer ties with the Organization of Turkic States. The Hungarian initiative is also appreciated by the Central and West Asian countries: the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, was awarded the Supreme Order of the Turkic World at the 11th Organization of Turkic States Summit in Bishkek in 2024 (Türkkon, 2025).
Summary
The countries of the Central and West Asian region are making ever greater economic progress, which should now be a cause for reflection not only for the region but also for countries further afield. Turkey’s role is unavoidable, but other states are also gradually expanding their trade and economic opportunities. The Organization of Turkic States, which is open to cooperation with Central and Eastern Europe, including Hungary, provides them with a suitable framework for this.
In the last decade and a half, Hungary’s foreign policy priorities have focused on the expansion of relations with Asian countries in addition to diversification and cooperation with traditional Western partners. This does not imply a break with previous cooperations, but rather a kind of balance that could bring economic benefits to Hungary. Our geographic location and historical past make it possible to cooperate more closely with the countries of Central Asia, while at the same time, as part of Europe, the West in the classical sense continues to play a primary partnership role in both foreign policy and foreign trade.
This kind of openness towards other Asian states is proving increasingly beneficial, as there have been a number of cooperative ventures with the Organization of Turkic States that have had a positive impact on Hungary. The opening up of foreign trade has also brought considerable benefits, with Hungarian exports gradually expanding and several Hungarian companies entering the markets of Caucasian countries.
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