A Study on Turkey's Foreign Policy in Central Asia

Key Chapter Title List

1. Major Geopolitical Actors in Central Asia
2. Development of Kazakhstan-Turkey Bilateral Relations and Cooperation Practices
3. Diplomatic and Energy Cooperation between Turkmenistan and Turkey
4. The Evolution of Relations between Uzbekistan and Turkey
5. Friendly Cooperative Relations between Kyrgyzstan and Turkey
6. Diplomatic Interactions and Aid between Tajikistan and Turkey
7. Turkey's Regional-Level Foreign Policy in Central Asia
8. Composition of the Turkic Integration System and Core Organizations
9. Turkic Silk Road Initiative and Energy Project Layout
10. Foundation and Prospects of Russia-Turkey Strategic Cooperation in Central Asia

File Introduction

As the core of the global geopolitical system, Eurasia positions Central Asia, with its unique strategic location and resource endowment, as a crucial arena for great power competition. This report focuses on Turkey's foreign policy practices in Central Asia, placing them within a regional cooperation framework. It systematically analyzes Turkey's bilateral relations with Central Asian countries and its strategic layout at the regional level, revealing its development path to becoming a significant player with influence in the regional energy sector.

The report first clarifies the strategic roles and influence foundations of the four major core geopolitical actors in Central Asia (China, Iran, Russia, Turkey). Among them, Turkey, leveraging historical, linguistic, religious, and cultural ties, combined with the new foreign policy line of the Erdogan government, has emerged as a new participant in the great power competition in the region. Against this backdrop, the report delves into the development trajectories of Turkey's relations with Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan at the bilateral level. It covers core areas such as diplomatic establishment, economic trade, energy cooperation, and cultural exchanges, presenting the uniqueness, developmental achievements, and periodic challenges of each bilateral relationship.

At the regional cooperation level, the report focuses on deconstructing the Turkic integration system composed of 7 core organizations. With the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States at its center, it elaborates on the functional positioning and operational mechanisms of organizations such as the Turkic Academy, the Turkic Cultural Heritage Foundation, and the Economic Committee, revealing Turkey's strategic logic of promoting regional integration through institutionalized cooperation. Simultaneously, the report provides an in-depth analysis of the dual dimensions of Turkey's Turkic Silk Road Initiative—energy cooperation (e.g., Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline) and economic connectivity (e.g., Trans-Anatolian Transport Corridor, railway networks)—clarifying its strategic intent to serve as a bridge between Central Asia and Europe.

Finally, the report explores the positioning of Russia-Turkey relations in Central Asia, pointing out their shared interests in maintaining regional stability and responding to the rise of Chinese influence. It posits that Turkey acts more as Russia's partner rather than a competitor in Central Asia, and that cooperation between the two has an objective foundation and practical necessity. Based on detailed bilateral agreements, trade data, official statements, and academic research, this report provides an authoritative and comprehensive analytical perspective for understanding Turkey's Central Asia strategy, the integration process of the Turkic world, and the evolution of the regional geopolitical landscape.