Turkey has significantly simplified its employment rules for citizens of Turkic-speaking countries, particularly those of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan.

The changes mean that approved nationals of these countries can now work and conduct business freely in Turkey without obtaining citizenship or special permits, with some exceptions in areas including the armed forces and law enforcement.

The decision to relax the rules, announced in a presidential decree published in the Official Gazette, followed discussions on creating a common economic and labour space that took place between national leaders during the October 6-7 Twelfth Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTC) held in Gabala, Azerbaijan.

Some analysts sense some anxiety in Russia over the strengthening of the Turkic bloc. Moscow is widely seen as losing ground to other powers in trade, investment and geopolitics in Central Asia given the sheer concentration and resources it must expend on its war in Ukraine. The only country in Central Asia that is not Turkic-speaking is Persian-speaking Tajikistan, where Russian leader Vladimir Putin last week attended a Central Asia-Russia Summit.

Turkey’s workforce move also comes with Russia gearing up to expel as many as 770,000 migrants, largely Central Asians, as part of a crackdown on non-Russians whom Russian officials have determined should not be present in Russia.

More openings on the jobs market in Turkey, meanwhile, could be created as some of the millions of Syrian war refugees in the country head home following the fall last December of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

Those who qualify for the new work and business freedoms in Turkey must have a residence permit, not pose a threat to national security, prove their ties to Turkish society and, where required, prove the equivalence of professional certificates obtained abroad to Turkish certification.

In April, in a statement, the Turkish Migration Service said that 121,990 Turkmen citizens had obtained official Turkish residence permits. Second in terms of permits were Azerbaijanis (85,331 people), followed Russians (81,413), Iranians (76,416) and Syrians (73,063).

The published decree confirms an amendment of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Law on the Free Practice of Professions and Crafts by Turkish-speaking Foreigners in Turkey and Their Employment in State or Private Organisations, Institutions or Workplaces.