Abstract

The Organization of Turkic States (OTS)—comprising Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Kyrgyzstan—has emerged as a significant political platform for coordinating energy policy amid the complex geopolitical landscape of Central Asia and the Caucasus. While the OTS aims to enhance regional energy security by diversifying sources and promoting collaborative infrastructure, its aspirations are tempered by the pre-existing infrastructural and economic dependencies of its member states on neighboring powers. This paper investigates the tension between the OTS’s institutional capacity and its geopolitical ambitions.

To dissect this dynamic, the study addresses the research question: "How does the internal cohesion of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS)—specifically regarding divergent member-state interests and institutional capacity—condition its ability to function as a primary energy security provider and effectively counterbalance the energy leverage of other regional powers (such as Russia, China, and Iran)?" Utilizing a qualitative research design grounded in comparative policy analysis and geopolitical assessment, the study examines cooperative initiatives across three key pillars: energy source diversification, geopolitical collaboration, and renewable energy development.

The analysis reveals that the OTS’s effectiveness is contingent upon its ability to reconcile collective regional goals with the entrenched bilateral relationships its members maintain with Moscow, Beijing, and Tehran. The findings suggest that while the OTS possesses the institutional frameworks to act as a strategic balancing mechanism, its capacity to function as a primary security provider is significantly conditioned by internal divergences regarding the pace and scope of diversification. Consequently, the study concludes that the OTS represents a critical forum for enhancing sovereignty, but its transition from a supplementary platform to a primary counterbalancing force remains dependent on overcoming deep-seated structural and economic frictions among its members.