Türkiye’s Trade With Turkic States Rises To $10.1 Billion In Seven Months

Türkiye’s trade with members of the Organization of Turkic States rose 6.6 percent year-on-year to $10.1 billion in the first seven months of 2026. Kazakhstan was Türkiye’s largest OTS trading partner in 2025, followed by Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Trade with OTS observer countries also increased, bringing combined annualised trade with members and observers to $27.8 billion by July. Türkiye is seeking deeper economic integration and greater use of the Middle Corridor to strengthen the Turkic region’s role in global trade.

Türkiye’s trade with fellow members of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) increased by 6.6 percent year-on-year to $10.1 billion during the first seven months of 2026, highlighting growing economic ties among the Turkic countries.
The Turkish Trade Ministry said on Monday that commercial relations between Türkiye and other OTS members have expanded dramatically over the past two decades.
Trade, which stood at about $871 million in 2002, reached $16.9 billion by the end of 2025 — representing nearly twentyfold growth.

KAZAKHSTAN LEADS TURKIYE’S TURKIC TRADE

Kazakhstan was Türkiye’s biggest trading partner among OTS members in 2025, with bilateral trade reaching $7.8 billion.
Azerbaijan followed with $4.3 billion, while trade with Uzbekistan stood at $3.1 billion and Kyrgyzstan recorded $1.6 billion.
The figures underline the growing importance of Central Asia and the wider Turkic region to Türkiye’s trade strategy.

TRADE WITH OBSERVER STATES ALSO INCREASES

Türkiye has also recorded strong commercial growth with countries holding observer status in the OTS.
Trade with Turkmenistan, Hungary and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus rose 6.8 percent in 2025 to $10 billion.
During the first seven months of 2026, trade with the observer countries increased by 5.1 percent compared with the same period in 2025, reaching $6.1 billion.
Combined, Türkiye’s trade with OTS members and observer countries reached an annualised $27.8 billion by July 2026.

TURKIC STATES SEEK DEEPER ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

The Organization of Turkic States was established in 2009 before adopting its current name at the Istanbul Summit in 2021.
Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan are full members, while Turkmenistan, Hungary and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus hold observer status.
Beyond trade, the organisation has increasingly focused on strengthening economic, transport and cultural connections between its members.
For Türkiye, stronger economic links with Central Asian states provide opportunities to expand markets for Turkish goods while increasing access to energy, raw materials and emerging consumer markets.

MIDDLE CORRIDOR BECOMES KEY TO TRADE STRATEGY

The Turkish Trade Ministry said the shift of global production and trade towards Asia over the past 25 years has increased the strategic importance of the Turkic region.
One of the key opportunities is the Trans-Caspian East-West-Middle Corridor, commonly known as the Middle Corridor.
The route connects Asia and Europe through Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus and Türkiye, offering an alternative trade route between the two continents.
Türkiye sees the corridor as particularly important because of its geographical position between Europe and Asia.
Greater use of the route could increase the movement of goods through Türkiye while strengthening economic links between Turkic countries.

TÜRKİYE SEEKS BIGGER ROLE IN EURASIAN TRADE

The Turkish government said it would continue efforts to deepen economic and commercial integration within the OTS and make greater use of the Middle Corridor’s strategic advantages.
The growing trade figures suggest that Türkiye is increasingly positioning the Turkic world as an important part of its broader international trade strategy.
As global supply chains continue to evolve and businesses seek alternative routes between Asia and Europe, Ankara hopes stronger cooperation with Turkic states will help the region play a larger role in global commerce and logistics.