INSTITUTIONAL PARALLELS AND DIVERGENCES: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE AFRICAN UNION AND THE ORGANIZATION OF TURKIC STATES

This study comparatively analyzes the organizational structures, governance mechanisms, and institutional evolution of the African Union (AU) and the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). The main research problem centers on how two regionally significant but historically and geographically distinct organizations institutionalize cooperation and shape collective action among member states. The study adopts a qualitative and comparative methodology, relying on document analysis of the Constitutive Act of the AU (2000), the Nakhchivan Agreement (2009), the AU Agenda 2063, and the Turkic World Vision 2040, complemented by academic literature, reports, and policy papers. Through thematic comparison, the study identifies key similarities in the quest for regional integration and collective identity, while noting fundamental divergences in governance efficiency, decision-making, and geopolitical positioning. Findings indicate that the AU has developed a comprehensive but bureaucratically complex structure, whereas the OTS operates through a more flexible, consensus-based framework. This study contributes to the literature by bridging two rarely compared institutional models, African regionalism and Turkic transnational cooperation, highlighting how middle powers can play transformative roles in both contexts. Ultimately, the study argues that examining the AU and OTS together provides new insights into emerging patterns of regional governance.