AZE.US
Russia’s role as a major arms supplier in the post-Soviet region is weakening, while Turkic states are increasingly looking for new defense partners and expanding military-technical cooperation with Turkey, Azerbaijani MP Rasim Musabekov said.
Speaking on the YouTube channel Novosti Kavkaza, Musabekov said the Organization of Turkic States is not currently a military alliance. But he argued that cooperation in defense technology, joint exercises and military-industrial projects among Turkic countries will continue to grow.
According to Musabekov, many post-Soviet states relied for decades on Soviet-era weapons and later on supplies from Russia’s defense industry. That model, he said, is no longer working as it once did.
“Russia is not able to meet the requests of these states,” Musabekov said, referring to the need of Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries to modernize their armed forces.
He noted that Azerbaijan was among the first countries in the region to diversify its arms procurement, although Baku had previously bought billions of dollars’ worth of new Russian weapons. Now, he said, Central Asian states are facing a similar reality: Soviet-era equipment has aged, Russia’s capacity to supply modern weapons has declined, and countries in the region are looking for other options.
Musabekov said this does not mean the Organization of Turkic States is turning into a military bloc. For now, he said, the agenda is focused on military-technical cooperation, defense industry links and practical interoperability.
He also pointed to Kazakhstan’s cooperation with Turkey on drone production as an example of the changing security landscape. For a country with Kazakhstan’s vast territory, he said, such systems are not only about strike capability but also about surveillance and control.
The Azerbaijani lawmaker said the OTS could acquire a clearer military dimension only if Turkic states face serious external pressure or military threats. Until then, he said, the organization’s current direction remains cooperation rather than alliance-building.
Musabekov also highlighted Azerbaijan’s special role in the Turkic organization. Turkey remains the leading country in terms of population, economy and military power, he said, but Azerbaijan has become one of the main drivers of integration because it has deep ties with Turkey while also preserving strong historical links with Central Asia.
In his view, the OTS is gaining relevance at a time when many older international structures are showing weakness or paralysis. For Baku and the wider Turkic world, that creates space for a more active political, transport, economic and defense-technical network – without formally turning it into a military alliance.
AZE.US