Turkiye – Afghanistan relations in view of 2025 vision of the economic cooperation organization: An analysis in terms of international trade and foreign direct investments

States develop strategic partnerships with other countries or groups of countries under the same organizational structure, based on shared historical and cultural backgrounds as well as geographical proximity. Afghanistan and Turkey are members of numerous international organizations, including the Economic Cooperation Organization. The aim of the Economic Cooperation Organization is to enhance cultural, commercial, and economic cooperation among member states. The ultimate goal of the Economic Cooperation Organization, which currently has ten member states, is to establish a free trade zone among the parties in order to improve the welfare and quality of life of the region's people. The aim of this study is to examine Turkey's relationship with Afghanistan within the framework of their membership in the Economic Cooperation Organization in general, and particularly to analyze the development of trade and investment between the two parties in terms of achieving the goals set by the 2025 Vision, and to develop recommendations for addressing any challenges identified. The case study method, which is among the qualitative research methods, has been used as the most suitable method for this purpose. The research design of the study is the economic cooperation/economic integration situation among member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization. In this context, the research universe consists of ten member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization. Turkey and Afghanistan have been identified as the sample of the research, and their economic, commercial, and political relations have been analyzed to the extent required by the topic. In the scope of the study, the questions that are sought to be answered are as follows: (1) "What sort of organization is the Economic Cooperation Organization?" The answer to this question is provided in the first chapter. (2) "What does the Economic Cooperation Organization 2025 Vision and the Economic Cooperation Organization Trade Agreement envisage?" The answer to this question is provided in the second chapter. (3) "How have the economic, commercial and political relations between Turkey and Afghanistan evolved?" The answer to this question is provided in the third chapter. Based on the answers to these questions and the findings obtained, an attempt has been made to derive the answer to the main question, that is; "Have the gains, envisaged by creating a free trade area in the Economic Cooperation Organization Region, been achieved in economic terms?". Based on the findings obtained within the scope of the research, it has been concluded that the expected economic gains from the cooperation to be created in the Economic Cooperation Organization Region could not be achieved. In this context, it is recommended (1) to support the Economic Cooperation Organization member states that are continuing membership negotiations with the World Trade Organization, (2) to transform the Economic Cooperation Organization Trade Agreement into a comprehensive free trade agreement, (3) to make the Economic Cooperation Organization Trade Agreement effective and expand it to cover all member states, (4) to implement other regulations that are expected to facilitate international trade and open the way for foreign direct investments, (5) to strengthen the institutional structure, (6) to implement a comprehensive trade financing program to increase intra-regional and extra-regional trade, (7) to organize international trade fairs, (8) to keep the relations between Turkey and Afghanistan warm in every aspect despite all the challenges, and (8) to continue to support Afghanistan in the process of overall development of the Economic Cooperation Organization Region, as Turkey did in the past and continues to do so today, both in terms of ensuring its security and stability and in terms of its human, sectoral, and institutional dimensions. Keywords: Economic Cooperation Organization, Vision 2025, Türkiye, Afghanistan, Foreign Trade.