Russia should have a seat on Organisation of Turkic States, Tokayev says
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said Moscow should become a member of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) or be given an observer status, citing centuries of shared history and Russia’s sizeable Turkic communities.
Speaking at the OIC summit in Ankara on 30 October, Tokayev said that if would be «right and fair» to engage with Russia through the OTS+ format.
«As a major power, Russia has maintained close ties with the Turkic world for centuries. Many Turkic peoples have historically lived on its territory,» he stated.
«Overall, if Russia were to become part of the Turkic countries’ community — that is, our organisation — it would benefit all our states,» the Kazakh president maintained.
Read more: Tokayev explains why Kazakhstan treads carefully with Russia
Russia’s Turkic connections
A nationwide census conducted in 2021 recorded approximately 4.71 million Tatars and 1.57 million Bashkirs, making them Russia’s second- and fourth-largest ethnic groups, respectively. Both peoples have Turkic languages, although ethnicity does not necessarily indicate language proficiency.
- Moscow already shares economic and security institutions with two OTS members. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, along with Russia, are members of both the Eurasian Economic Union and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation. Tokayev has reiterated in Ankara that the OTS itself should not become a military alliance.
- Trade and energy give those relationships substantial weight. Kazakhstan’s trade with Russia exceeded $27 billion in 2025, according to its foreign ministry.
- In terms of Türkiye, Russia’s cooperation includes the TurkStream gas pipeline and the Akkuyu nuclear power project, both highlighted by the Turkish foreign ministry as central to their energy relationship.
Read more: Uzbekistan launches nuclear power project with Rosatom
