AZE.US
Azerbaijani citizens may soon be able to travel to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan using only their national ID cards, as the Organization of Turkic States considers expanding passport-free travel among its members.
As AZE.US reports, the proposal is expected to be discussed when OTS leaders meet in Ankara on October 29, coinciding with Türkiye’s Republic Day.
Azerbaijan and Türkiye already allow their citizens to travel between the two countries using national ID cards. Expanding this arrangement would extend the same privilege to the three other full OTS members.
The passport-free system could eventually cover:
- Azerbaijan
- Türkiye
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Uzbekistan
Azerbaijani lawmaker Azer Badamov said the initiative would mark a new stage of integration within the organization.
According to him, easier cross-border travel could support tourism, expand trade and investment, encourage student and academic exchanges, and strengthen cultural ties across the Turkic world.
Badamov argued that freer movement between countries with shared historical and linguistic connections would also deepen public trust, business cooperation and political solidarity.
The initiative has not yet been formally approved, however. Its implementation timeline and detailed travel requirements remain to be determined.
The OTS confirmed in its 2025 Gabala Declaration that Türkiye would host the organization’s next formal summit in 2026. Hungary, Turkmenistan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus currently hold observer status and are not included in the proposed arrangement for full members.
AZE.US