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The leaders of the Organization of Turkic States — Turkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan — on Tuesday held a summit in Azerbaijan, where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on his counterparts to deepen their engagement with the new administration in Damascus.

There were three key takeaways from Erdogan’s speech. First, he called for a unified Organization of Turkic States response to shared security challenges. Second, he stressed the need for members to support the stabilization efforts in Syria by engaging in dialogue with Damascus. Third, he spoke of the importance of closer coordination between the organization and other international alliances. The call to deepen ties with the Syrian government stood out as particularly significant.

During the Syrian war, the Central Asian states of the former Soviet Union drew significant attention when Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, emerged as the primary venue for the peace talks involving Turkiye, Iran and Russia. Just a month before the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime, it hosted the 22nd round of negotiations under the Astana peace process.

Many speculated that the fall of Assad could prompt a change in the Central Asian states’ approach to Syria

Dr. Sinem Cengiz

Kazakhstan was seen as a trusted intermediary due to its long-standing relationship with the Syrian regime and its close ties with Russia, Assad’s most steadfast ally. Following the collapse of the Assad regime, many speculated that this power shift could prompt a change in the Central Asian states’ approach to Syria, given their past relations. However, Organization of Turkic States members reaffirmed their support for Syria’s unity, stability, territorial integrity and postwar reconstruction under the new administration.

But the Central Asian Turkic states still face significant constraints in terms of establishing a closer relationship with the new Syrian leadership. Aside from Turkiye, which maintains the closest ties with Damascus, Azerbaijan has taken notable steps toward building relations with President Ahmad Al-Sharaa.

In July, Baku hosted Al-Sharaa in a short but symbolically important visit. During the visit, the two sides discussed economic development and energy cooperation and signed a memorandum of understanding on the energy sector. Reports indicate that Azerbaijan plans to supply natural gas to Syria via Turkiye. There were also discussions on the potential use of facilities operated by the Turkish state energy company BOTAS, with plans to utilize the newly constructed Kilis-Aleppo pipeline. Azerbaijan has also expressed an interest in participating in Syria’s onshore and offshore oil and gas exploration and production.

Ankara is attempting to draw the Turkic states closer to its allies and position itself as a bridge between the Levant and Central Asia

Dr. Sinem Cengiz

The Syrian government has also reached out to Uzbekistan, sending its foreign minister to meet with his Uzbek counterpart. Their talks focused on supporting the reconstruction of Syria’s socioeconomic infrastructure, signaling a broader effort to engage between Syria and Central Asian states.

Turkiye is seeking support from the Turkic nations for the maintenance of Syria’s stability, which is vital not only for the Levant and Middle East but also the Caucasus and Central Asia.

During the Syrian war, several nationals from Central Asian states joined the ranks of Daesh. According to reports, some 40 percent of the overall number of militants joining the extremist group were from the former Soviet states. This situation raised serious concerns among Central Asian states about the potential threat posed by extremist movements to their domestic security and political stability.

In response, several countries, including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, have launched state-sponsored repatriation and reintegration programs to address this issue, while Turkmenistan has resisted such measures. Given these security challenges, Syria’s stability should not only be a strategic priority for Turkiye and neighboring states, but also for the Central Asian Turkic states.

Russia is another factor in the future of the Turkic states’ relations with Damascus. Although the organization is not a military alliance — it instead functions as a political and economic platform — Moscow views it as a competitor to its own regional integration efforts, such as the Eurasian Economic Union and the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

Over the past decade, Turkiye has strengthened its ties with the Central Asian Turkic states in a bid to reduce Russia’s influence over them. Through the sale of military drones, economic connectivity projects and diplomatic engagement, Ankara has sought to bypass Moscow’s traditional dominance, which is also what these states desire.

Moreover, Russia’s war in Ukraine has further increased the importance of Central Asia as a key transport and trade route. It is part of the Middle Corridor connecting Asia and Europe, acting as an alternative to the Northern Corridor via Russia. The Organization of Turkic States now represents most of the states along the Middle Corridor.

In addition to the Ukraine war, the fall of the Assad regime has also led to a gradual decline in Russia’s influence in the Middle East and in regions like Central Asia, creating a power vacuum that Turkiye is increasingly seeking to fill. Ankara is attempting to capitalize on this new geopolitical conjuncture by drawing the Turkic states closer to its allies in the region, such as Syria, and positioning itself as a bridge between the Levant and Central Asia.

However, this strategy is not without challenges. While Turkiye may use its leverage to encourage greater support for the Al-Sharaa government, it is likely to take time for the Turkic states to fully embrace the new Syrian administration. Progress on this strategy depends on several factors, such as unity among the Organization of Turkic States members, the organization’s relations with Turkiye, Russian influence over the members, and future developments within Syria itself.

Still, Turkiye’s goal of stronger ties between the Turkic states and Syria is significant and could impact several dynamics in the years to come.

• Dr. Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes in Turkiye’s relations with the Middle East. X: @SinemCngz