‘As axis of global politics, economy shifts to Asia-Pacific, opportunities arising for Turkic world’

By Ahmet Gencturk

ANKARA (AA) - As the axis of global politics and economy shifts to Asia-Pacific, important opportunities are arising for the Turkic world, an expert said on Wednesday.

In terms of establishing identity and consciousness, the Turkic world is currently undergoing significant transformations, according to Darkhan Kydyrali, the president of the International Turkic Academy in Kazakhstan.

In a speech at ANKASAM, a Turkish think-tank in the capital Ankara, he said Turkic people living in a vast geography from Lake Baikal to the Balkans are increasingly becoming aware that they are part of the great historical Turkic civilization.

Kydyrali underlined that this state of affairs developed gradually over the last 30 years, with Turkiye making a significant contribution.

During the initial stage from 1992 to 1998, cultural ties between Turkiye and the Turkic states in Central Asia were restored.

Scholarships provided to students from Turkic states by Turkiye, Manas University in Kyrgyzstan and Akhmet Yassawi University in Kazakhstan played an important role during this time, he said.

This enabled Turkic states to proceed toward economic and institutional cooperation, he added.

Kydyrali said Kazakhstan pursues a balanced and multipronged foreign policy under the leadership of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, himself a seasoned diplomat with experience in international organizations.

Relations with Turkiye and the Turkic world occupy a special place in Kazakhstan’s foreign policy, he said, stressing that Turkish-Kazakh relations are deep, multifaceted and historical.

Speaking about the mass protests that took place in the country in January, Kydyrali asserted that they can be seen as a challenge to the country’s foreign policy.

In a short time, however, Kazakhstan made it clear that it would continue to follow a balanced foreign policy that aims for good relations with the West, Russia, China, the Turkic world and Turkiye, he remarked.

In the wake of the protests, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took a clear position in support of the Kazakh government, according to Kydyrali.

Turkiye’s Vice President Fuat Oktay also visited Kazakhstan last month, a visit during which several steps were taken to strengthen bilateral ties in various areas and 11 new business deals worth $500 million were signed, he concluded.​​​​​​​