Türkiye's National Defense Minister, Yaşar Güler, announced that Ankara has dispatched a military advisory group to Uzbekistan to assist in reforming its Armed Forces, Turkish outlet Sabah reported.
According to the minister, several "friendly and brotherly nations" are interested in modeling their army structures after Turkey's, and "Uzbekistan is one of those countries." He clarified that a team of military advisors has been deployed to Uzbekistan, following a blueprint previously established in Azerbaijan.
In January 2026, the defense ministers of Uzbekistan and Türkiye signed a bilateral cooperation plan encompassing joint military exercises, personnel training, and the development of military-medical partnerships.
The model Turkey is implementing in Uzbekistan has already been battle-tested in Azerbaijan. Military cooperation between Ankara and Baku took on a highly systematic character following the signing of the Shusha Declaration in 2021. That document solidified their alliance by introducing elements of military integration and mutual defense commitments. Under this framework, Baku modernized its army to align with Turkish standards, boosted the frequency of joint combat drills, and established tight-knit cooperation in the defense industry—most notably through the integration of Bayraktar drones.
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