Member and observer countries of the Organization of Turkic States had combined trade of $1.27 trillion last year, and their total gross domestic product exceeded $2.4 trillion, according to the organization’s magazine.
The seventh issue of the Turkic States Magazine said work continues to deepen economic integration, increase trade among members and strengthen the region’s position in global commerce. Negotiations on a comprehensive agreement to ease trade in services and investment were cited among the main efforts.
The publication said trade within the bloc has not yet reached its targeted depth, and that mechanisms are being developed to close the gap and boost members’ shared global competitiveness. It said cooperation ranging from central banks and green finance to financial intelligence units and competition authorities is opening new areas for sustainable growth and regional investment.
The Turkic world achieved average growth of 6.86% last year, more than double the global average, the magazine said. It stressed the importance of increasing intra-bloc trade, improving the investment climate, strengthening connectivity, reducing trade barriers, supporting small and medium-sized businesses and easing cross-border trade.
Transport infrastructure is a key pillar of integration, it said. The magazine highlighted the growing strategic importance of the Middle Corridor as a reliable, efficient and secure route linking East and West. It said major projects, including the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway and the Zangezur Corridor, are strengthening regional connectivity and boosting the Turkic states’ role in global trade flows.
Digitalizing transport and customs procedures is critical to making fuller use of the corridor, the magazine said, adding that integrating artificial intelligence into those systems could enable predictive logistics, automated risk management and smoother border processing.