SILK ROAD

Despite the multi-vector policy of the Central Asian countries and their desire to maintain relations with Russia and China, there is an obvious trend towards co-operation of these Turkic countries.

The integration of the citizens of the Republic of Turkey with the countries of Central Asia was brilliantly foreseen by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who wrote: “Today, the Soviet Union is our friend, our neighbour, our ally. We need this friendship. But no one can predict what will happen tomorrow. The world can achieve a new balance. We have brothers with one language, one faith and one core.We must be ready to integrate with them. To be ready is not just to be silent and wait for this day. How are the nations preparing for this? Keeping the spiritual bridges intact. Language is a bridge... Faith is a bridge... history is a bridge… We have to go down to our roots and join our history, divided by events.” That is, more than a hundred years ago, Ataturk predicted the integration of the Turkic countries based on the values of the Turkic world. The collapse of the USSR and the formation of independent states with a predominantly Turkic population, from the position of the Turkish leadership, provided a unique chance for the Turkish Republic to expand its zone of influence.

The Turkic world, as a special historical reality, was formed in the Middle Ages. The ancient thinkers of the East (Abu Nasr al-Farabi, Muhammad ibn Musa alKhorezmi, Abu Rayhan al-Biruni) laid the philosophical, ideological, moral foundation of the concept of the Turkic world. The values of the Turkic world include freedom and independence, morality, justice, responsibility and tolerance.

The Turkic world is being strengthened in regional and international politics thanks to the active policy of the Turkic Council, which is an inter-governmental international organisation established for comprehensive co-operation of the Turkic-speaking states. The Turkic Council includes Turkey, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

An example of co-operation between countries within the framework of the Turkic Council is their interaction during the coronavirus pandemic, when member countries and observer countries agreed to create a “green corridor” to facilitate the crossing of borders by people and essential goods, medicines and medical equipment.

In 2021, the Turkic Council was transformed into the Organisation of Turkic States. Co-operation between the countries of the Turkic world has a huge potential, since 300 million people speaking Turkic languages live on the planet.

The co-operation of the countries within the framework of the “Turkic World” concept is aimed at achieving the following goals:

- convergence of economic policy and all relevant regulatory frameworks;

- achieving full trade integration;

- creation of a single investment space;

- digital integration;

- Improvement of transport and energy links between the countries of Central Asia.

The countries of the Turkic world are striving to create a single transport space, which is necessary to increase trade turnover between them. Turkey has started transporting its goods to Central Asia, developing trans-Caspian routes and deepening co-operation with the Caspian countries. In December 2020, a new export route from Turkey to China was opened, passing through Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan.

Co-operation between the countries of the Turkic world is promising and long-term. The program “Vision of the Turkic World-2040” developed by representatives of the Organisation of Turkic States of the countries is the basis for co-operation and considers a set of measures to be implemented in the period up to 2040.

Thus, it can be concluded that co-operation between the Central Asian countries and the Republic of Turkey is based on spiritual, cultural and linguistic community, on the common values of the “Turkic World”.

The growth of foreign trade of the Turkic-speaking countries is due to the involvement of Turkish business in the implementation of important industrial and infrastructure projects. Trade with Turkey is also beneficial for the Central Asian countries, as Turkey is a growing market.