At the 5th meeting of ministers responsible for energy within the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), held on December 10 in Istanbul, OTS Secretary General Kubanychbek Omuraliev outlined major joint energy initiatives underway among member states.
Founded in 2009, the OTS comprises Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Hungary and Northern Cyprus participate as observer states.
Omuraliev touched upon the following projects:
- Major oil and gas routes such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (BTE) gas pipeline, South Caucasus Pipeline, Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), and the Iğdır-Nakhchivan gas pipeline;
- A strategic partnership between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan to develop and transmit green energy;
- The Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey-Bulgaria Green Energy Corridor, which extends the Central Asia-Azerbaijan corridor and opens new avenues for energy exports to Europe;
- Construction of the Kambarata-1 Hydropower Plant in Kyrgyzstan, a project jointly developed with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan; and
- A planned Black Sea submarine cable to transmit renewable energy.
Omuraliev emphasized that enhanced intra-OTS cooperation bolsters both the economic potential of member states and regional energy security.
Ministers at the meeting noted the significant fossil fuel and clean energy resources held by OTS members and observers, describing the region as a strategic energy bridge between Asia and Europe. They stressed that advancing practical cooperation is essential amid growing global energy demand and the accelerating energy transition.
Participants agreed to move forward with joint projects under the OTS framework, including the establishment of a Regional Center for Technologies and Green Initiatives.
As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, on December 5, the Board of Governors of the Turkic Investment Fund announced in Bishkek that the fund will begin operations in the first quarter of 2026.
The Turkic Investment Fund is the first dedicated financial institution jointly established by OTS member states. Headquartered in Istanbul, its mandate is to promote economic cooperation, boost intra-regional trade, and support sustainable development by financing major joint initiatives across the region.
