Russia’s prospective engagement with the Organisation of Turkic States cannot be treated as a linear policy option. It is, instead, a multidimensional issue shaped by institutional constraints, normative tensions, ethnic relations, geopolitical rivalries, and symbolic considerations, writes Lucas Leiroz de Almeida. The author is a participant of the Valdai – New Generation project.
A growing discussion has recently emerged over how Russia could engage more systematically with the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) – and whether it should pursue some form of official status. In recent years, the OTS has transitioned from a primarily cultural platform into a more structured and strategically oriented regional body. This transformation has prompted renewed interest in how external powers, particularly Russia, might interact with or respond to the organisation’s evolving agenda. Given Russia’s complex historical relationships in the Turkic world, its internal diversity, and its broader regional aspirations, the question is not merely whether engagement is possible, but under what conditions it could be viable.
As the OTS consolidates its status as a regional actor, expanding its purview beyond cultural and linguistic commonality toward strategic, economic, and digital integration, questions of institutional direction and geopolitical alignment have become increasingly relevant. What began as a forum for pan-Turkic cultural diplomacy has, in recent years, evolved into a platform with ambitions that extend into economic connectivity, energy cooperation, and political coordination. The 2024 Bishkek Summit, which saw the adoption of the Charter of the Turkic World and initiatives in areas such as green transition, space technology, security and the digital economy, marked a significant departure from the organisation’s earlier, more symbolic iterations.
Within this context, Russia’s prospective engagement with the OTS raises a complex set of questions – some strategic, others institutional, but all deeply political. On the surface, Russia possesses several characteristics that might justify a closer relationship with the OTS. Its internal demographic makeup includes several Turkic-speaking regions (such as Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, and Yakutia) whose historical, cultural, and linguistic ties resonate with the foundational principles of the organisation. These federal subjects often engage
in bilateral exchanges with OTS member states and could, in principle, serve as bridges between the Russian Federation and the Turkic institutional world. Furthermore, Russia’s extensive logistical and energy infrastructure, which already intersects with multiple OTS economies, offers clear functional complementarities. These factors underscore not only shared interests but also shared opportunities. Yet despite these overlaps, Russia remains formally absent from the organisation, prompting the need for a more critical examination.
The Valdai Discussion Club was established in 2004. It is named after Lake Valdai, which is located close to Veliky Novgorod, where the Club’s first meeting took place.
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