The objective of this study is to examine Turkey's foreign policy towards the Turkic republics of the Caucasus and Central Asia and evaluate its adjustment in the post-Cold War era. We have argued that due to the changes in the external and domestic environment Turkish foreign policy has altered. The independence of the Turkic republics was the most important external event which affected post-Cold War Turkish foreign policy. The independence of 'lost cousins', Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan created great excitement in Turkey. All segments of the Turkish elite supported close relations with the Turkic republics. However, there were differences among the elite in terms of strategy and attitude towards pan-Turkism because rapid changes in the post-Cold War world had challenged traditional Turkish foreign policy. Inevitably, conflict arose between the supporters of change and the supporters of the status quo. We argued that the change in Turkey's foreign policy was not a restructuring. Turkey continued to follow a pro-Western foreign policy, which is the backbone of Turkish foreign policy. In its foreign policy, Turkey aimed to increase its strategic importance for the West, which would ensure Turkey's acceptance by the West. Turkish foreign policy makers also aimed at gaining support from the Turkic republics at the international level and Turkey also had goals relating to the energy sources of the Turkic republics. In the conclusion to this study, we have argued that Turkey's foreign policy towards the Turkic republics has been largely successful, problems arising from incapacities in fully implementing its foreign policy agenda. The persistence of regional instability and authoritarian regimes in the Turkic republics and Russia's role in the region continues to produce a degree of unpredictability in Turkey's relationship with the Turkic republics.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:488387 |
| Date | January 2000 |
| Creators | Kasim, Kamer |
| Publisher | University of Manchester |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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