THE TRANSFORMATION OF CENTRAL ASIA UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE OTC: THE PARADIGM OF TURKISH ENGAGEMENT, THE CHALLENGES OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION AND THE CONTOURS OF UNCERTAINTY
Keywords:
Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), Turkic Investment Fund, Central Asia, regional development, transnational economic cooperation, Turkey’s foreign policy, soft power, Great Turkestan, symbolic integration, neo-Ottomanism, strategic diversification, geopolitical influence, cultural consolidation, supranational structures.Abstract
This article explores the evolving geopolitical and economic landscape of Central Asia under the influence of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), with a focus on the role of the Turkic Investment Fund as an emerging institutional actor. It analyses the strategic ambitions of Turkey in the region, the soft power mechanisms employed to consolidate a unified Turkic identity, and the broader implications of institutionalisation efforts within the OTS. The study highlights the duality of Ankara’s regional policy — symbolic and ideological on the one hand, and constrained by economic and political limitations on the other. It also examines the cautious stance of Central Asian states as they navigate between competing powers such as Russia, China, and Turkey, aiming to maintain strategic autonomy. The article is based on primary sources, summit declarations, and expert commentary, offering a critical perspective on the prospects and challenges of regional integration in the Turkic space.
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