Constructing the ‘Turkic world’: strategic narratives of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Türkiye amid geopolitical turbulence
Abstract
Cooperation among Turkic states has intensified amid geopolitical turbulence in Central Eurasia, culminating in the establishment of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in 2021. This paper examines how Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkey construct the ‘Turkic world,’ justify its significance, and articulate their expectations. Drawing on the Strategic Narratives Framework and discursive data, we find broad convergence in framing cooperation as a response to a crisis-ridden international system. However, important divergences persist: Azerbaijan envisions the OTS as a security bloc; Turkey as a geopolitical actor, and Kazakhstan as a pragmatic, economically oriented platform. This underscores the OTS′s embedded geopolitical logic.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Turkey's Politics and Society
Security
Politics
and Digital Transformation
Post-Soviet Geopolitical Dynamics
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Turkish Studies
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 744–770
- Publication date
- 11 February 2026
- Language
- EN