The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has so far been the wall flower of international politics. The group of eight countries, led by Russia and China, has not made a breakthrough decision or initiative since its founding 21 years ago.

Now the SCO summit in Uzbekistan is setting the stage for a new alliance against the West. Iran, the Gulf states and NATO country Turkey are interested in the organization. This could have consequences for the West and the Middle East.

The summits on September 15 and 16 in Samarkand will be the destination of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s first overseas trip since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic two and a half years ago. Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin wants to sit with Xi on the sidelines of the meeting.

The Russian president also wants to speak with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Samarkand. It will be about amending the Istanbul Wheat Treaty, which Moscow believes will benefit African countries threatened with starvation, but Western countries hostile to Russia. Erdogan sees it the same way: “Putin is right,” he said recently.

Turkey is a partner of SCO cooperation, Saudi wants to follow it

In Samarkand, the SCO wanted to formally sever Iran’s accession and begin the process of Belarus’ accession. So far, the group consists of Russia, China, India, Pakistan, and Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Erdogan, whose country is linked to the SCO as a dialogue partner, has expressed interest in joining Turkey. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt want to be new dialogue partners in Samarkand; According to media reports, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) aims to become a member soon.

Putin is right.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey

The regional powers of the Middle East that will be represented in Samarkand are conflicting. Saudi Arabia and Iran are waging a proxy war in Yemen, while Egypt and the UAE are Turkey’s opponents in the Libyan conflict. However, what they have in common is that they seek foreign and economic policy alternatives to the West.

Iran is looking for a way out of isolation

With SCO membership, Iran wants to break out of its international isolation and strengthen its economy. The SCO represents 40 percent of the world’s population and 30 percent of global economic output.

Turkey is also looking for new markets for its crisis-hit economy. The Gulf Arabs no longer want to depend on the US, supplying a lot of oil to China and cooperating with Russia in the OPEC-Plus oil cartel.

For Russia, it is a matter of dampening the impact of international sanctions on the Ukraine war. Putin said a few days ago that he saw new opportunities in the Middle East and in Iran. The rail link through Iran to the Persian Gulf and investment in Turkey are expected to help Russia’s foreign trade.

The first results are already there. According to Moscow, trade between Russia and Iran grew by 40 percent in the first half of this year. Economic relations between Turkey and Russia are getting steeper.

Despite the sanctions, Turkish exports to Russia increased by almost 90 percent in August compared to the same month last year, according to figures from the TIM Turkish Exporters Association.

The Shanghai Group is politically on Putin’s side

Politically, too, Putin can count on a new SCO partner in the Ukraine war. Iran echoes Russia’s argument that Moscow should attack its neighbors to deter Western aggression.

The Gulf Arabs have also avoided criticism of Russia and rejected demands from the West to produce more oil to contain rising prices due to the Ukraine war.

NATO nation Turkey condemned the Russian attack, but rejected sanctions against Russia and blamed Europe and the United States for the escalation. In Europe and the United States, Erdogan’s stance raises doubts about Turkey’s reliability. So far, Erdogan has not been impressed. He wants to further deepen his cooperation with Putin in Samarkand.

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