Failure and success in regional cooperation: The Organization of Turkic States

Abstract

Based on the introduced concepts, the thesis concludes by evaluating the success of the OTS as a regional organization. Overall, this study provides insights into the challenges and opportunities of regional cooperation in the Turkic World and contributes to the scholarly discussion on regionalism and regionalization.

This thesis explores regional cooperation in the Turkic World through the case study of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS). The first chapter provides an introduction to the topic, while the second chapter offers a comparative perspective on regional cooperation, including definitions of region, regionalism, and regionalization, as well as examples of successful and failed regional organizations. Chapter three presents the history of regional cooperation in the Turkic World, including the concept of the "Turkic World" and the predecessors of the OTS.

In chapter four, the OTS is analyzed as a regional organization. This analysis includes an exploration of economic and security cooperation between Turkic states, with a particular focus on the key documents, member states (Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan), observer states (Hungary, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and Turkmenistan), and their interests in the context of regional cooperation.Chapter five presents the research findings, which include analyses of voting behavior and cohesion in the United Nations General Assembly.