Washington and Tehran Exchange Ultimatums Again

Beneath the turquoise domes of the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, the leaders of the Turkic world gathered for far more than another diplomatic ceremony. The informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States, held on May 15 in Kazakhstan’s Turkestan, became a demonstration of how a post-Soviet cultural association is gradually transforming into a project of Eurasian geopolitical self-assertion.

The state visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Kazakhstan on the eve of the informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Turkestan became not only a demonstration of diplomatic unity across the Turkic world, but also a signal of a gradual shift in the balance of influence across Eurasia.

Leaders of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) will gather on May 15 in Kazakhstan’s Turkestan for an informal summit focused on artificial intelligence and digital development, in what may signal the bloc’s shift from an infrastructure-driven agenda toward technological integration.

The spring of 2026 is gradually turning the Caspian region into another frontline of global confrontation. While the world’s attention remains focused on the Strait of Hormuz, the Gaza Strip and the war in Ukraine, increasing signs indicate that a new geopolitical tension is forming further north — between Iran, Russia, the United States, Israel and the countries of the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan is unexpectedly finding itself at the center of this troubling configuration.