Turkic States Advance AI Cooperation and Digital Development Proposals

Turkistan, 15 May 2026 - At the informal Organization of Turkic States (OTS) summit, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed a joint IT hub called 'Turkic AI' and broader digital cooperation initiatives. The summit focused on AI, digital development, economic cooperation, and cybersecurity coordination among member nations, though specific implementation details remain under discussion across the 178-million-consumer market.

What are the key outcomes of the 2026 Organization of Turkic States summit on AI and digital development?

The summit featured proposals for enhanced digital cooperation, including a unified Turkic AI/IT hub and cybersecurity coordination. President Tokayev championed the concept of pooling resources to create shared digital infrastructure for member states, though formal agreements are still being developed.

The summit's main discussion areas included:

Initiative	Lead country	2026 status	Target deliverable
Turkic AI hub ("Turkic AI")	Kazakhstan	Proposed	Shared computing resources + start-up support for OTS members
Digital cooperation framework	Multiple	Discussion stage	Enhanced connectivity between regional data centers
Cybersecurity coordination	Multiple	Under consideration	Improved threat intelligence sharing

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan championed the digital cooperation plan, stating the OTS market "cannot remain a mosaic of national clouds." He proposed that the joint Turkic AI center could be hosted at Alem.AI in Astana as part of the new digital ecosystem.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev supported enhanced digital cooperation initiatives. He also confirmed progress on integrating Uzbekistan's E-Permit system with other OTS members, which has reportedly improved customs clearance times for digital goods significantly.

Infrastructure and Private Sector Investment

The cooperation proposals are attracting private-sector interest. Kazakhstan's Data Center Valley, planned in Ekibastuz, Pavlodar Region, with capacity up to 1 GW, has engaged with more than 20 hyperscale companies in discussions, with preliminary demand exceeding 100 MW. The project aims to feature sovereign-cloud capabilities to ensure data sovereignty within national borders.

Meanwhile, Almaty is being positioned as a regional applied-AI hub. President Tokayev suggested a second OTS digital node could be developed in the commercial capital, leveraging its university network and the new Asia-Pacific Digital Solutions Center. The Alatau innovation district is being considered for new development.

Potential Use Cases and Applications

Regional technology leaders anticipate several applications from enhanced digital cooperation:

1. Cross-border e-pharmacy: A unified system using AI-powered tracking to combat the significant trade in counterfeit medicines.
2. Agri-insurance: Proposed pooling of satellite and IoT data to create index-based insurance policies for small farms across the region.
3. e-KYC utility: A potential single biometric backend enabling startups to onboard users from any OTS country more efficiently.

Funding and Governance

The OTS Secretariat is considering establishing a new Deputy Secretary-General position for digital affairs to oversee potential Digital Cooperation Fund initiatives. The fund structure and initial funding commitments are under discussion among member states.

Kazakhstan has reportedly designated significant resources for digitalization and artificial intelligence initiatives, with substantial allocations planned for data center development and AI infrastructure expansion.

Looking Ahead

Future OTS summits will likely review progress on digital cooperation initiatives. Proposed targets include expanding startup participation in joint AI programs, increasing regional digital connectivity, and developing unified digital readiness metrics. Astana's computing facilities are already processing regional data as part of the broader "Turkic cloud" concept development.

The initiatives represent an ambitious vision for digital integration across Turkic states, though implementation timelines and specific technical details continue to be refined through ongoing diplomatic and technical discussions.