On October 3, the Foreign Minister of Türkiye, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, announced Turkmenistan's plan to transition into full membership within the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) at the OTS Summit in Samarkand on November 11. This comes one year after Turkmenistan joined the OTS as an observer state, a significant development for a country that follows a policy of ‘positive neutrality’ and heavily restricts the presence of international organizations within its borders. Signaling both increased Turkic cooperation and Turkmenistan's improving regional connectivity, full membership in OTS will restrict Russia’s leverage over Turkmenistan, thereby indicating a weaker Russian presence in the region overall.

One year ago, on November 12, 2021, Turkmenistan was admitted as an observer state at the eighth Summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Istanbul. And in light of Turkmenistan's recent efforts to ramp up trade and establish itself as a regional transportation hub, its move into full membership solidifies its integration into the regional economy. Since joining the OTS as an observer, Turkmenistan has drastically improved its regional connectivity. It was recently reported that 2022 will see an 8.5% increase in trade with Uzbekistan compared to 2021, a predicted 200% increase in trade with Iran, and increased trade with Russia following a series of investment discussions. Turkmenistan has been eager to show its increased trade capacity since discussing the creation of the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway system and solving the 30-year-old Caspian field dispute with Azerbaijan. Its membership formalizes its desire to participate in regional politics and economics and could help facilitate new transport links between Central Asia and Europe.

With an oil and gas reserve capacity that greatly surpasses Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, special attention has been paid to the ‘stranded reserves’ of Turkmenistan. And especially since investors have begun looking for an alternative to Russian oil and gas, increased regional connectivity makes Turkmenistan and the region more attractive. Landlocked countries are typically undermined by their inadequate transportation speed and dependence on their neighbors for efficient border control and low-cost tariffs. Especially as Turkmenistan has historically lacked sufficient regional relations, its economy has been depleted by lack of investment and its struggle to establish transit routes with neighbors. However, landlocked countries may achieve economic success through increased regional collaboration, investment in transit infrastructure, and membership in international trade agreements. Therefore, OTS membership will allow Turkmenistan to transition from a landlocked country to a transit hub with a diversified economy, allowing foreign investors to access Turkmenistan's stranded gas reserves.

Expanding membership benefits new members and the organization by promoting the legitimization of their cause and increasing Turkic cooperation, separate from Russian influence, through multilateral cooperation in economics, education, and culture. An interconnected region may help states respond and prepare for global shocks, and it helps establish cross-border security protocols. OTS is supporting regional cooperation in several directions: trade, energy, transport, infrastructure projects, agriculture, tourism, law and order, humanitarian issues, environmental issues, and cybersecurity. OTS’s primary goals are to decrease trade barriers, develop the region’s economics and culture, contribute to technological and educational advancements, and provide a vehicle for regional stability and peace. Moreover, OTS also pursues international influence through its membership in global entities, like the World Health Organization, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, as well as the United Nations Development Program, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and several others. In providing a platform for collaboration and discussion, the Organization of Turkic States is successfully promoting the region as a Turkic region, rather than what it’s previously been referenced as: a disconnected group of former Soviet states with heavy Russian influence.

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine lessens Moscow’s influence over the Caspian region, OTS has recognized the gap left behind and the demand for a regional mediator. Josephine Freund, from the Caspian Policy Center, stated, “Throughout the Caspian Region, especially amidst Russia’s war in Ukraine, the world has begun to see an uptick in cooperation among Turkic-speaking countries.” And although Russia remains a prominent investor in Central Asia and the Caucasus, the Organization of Turkic States provides the region with more independence and control over its direction. Turkmenistan's reported plans to join the organization displays an active trend in the region; the desire to separate from Russia and promote historical relations that have been suppressed since the late 19^th century.