Tokayev proposes inviting Russia to the Organization of Turkic States

At the end of October, at a summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Ankara, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed inviting Russia to join the organisation. No member state responded to his proposal, and the final declaration did not address the issue.

The article notes that the idea of inviting Russia, or a similar approach, is not new. Moscow had previously proposed coordination with Turkic states through various channels.

After the war in Donbas began in 2014, Russia, which faced consecutive Western sanctions, promoted the concept of a Turkic-Slavic alliance through philosopher Alexander Dugin, who is known for his closeness to the Kremlin. The approach was backed for a time by organisations under Kremlin control, but because most Turkic states showed no interest, the idea dropped off Moscow's agenda.