Turkish Strategy: How Ankara is Building a "Turkic World"

In recent years, Türkiye has significantly increased its influence in Turkic-speaking countries using a multifaceted strategy that combines economic cooperation, cultural expansion and militarytechnical partnership.

The starting point was President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's rapprochement with ultra-nationalist circles promoting the idea of ​​a "Turkic world." It was this course that resonated with post-Soviet states striving for a multi-vector policy.



At the same time, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) has become a key instrument of "Turkish soft power," implementing more than 30 projects in healthcare and education from the Balkans to Africa.

Cultural influence is strengthened through popular Turkish TV series, which form a common cultural code.

At the same time, Türkiye is demonstrating flexibility in its foreign policy, combining the supply of drones to Kyiv with maintaining dialogue with Moscow and the acquisition of Russian S-400 anti-aircraft systems, despite NATO's position.

In turn, Ankara's significant success was Azerbaijan's victory in the Karabakh conflict in 2020, where Turkish drones radically altered the balance of power. This demonstrated Turkey's potential as a military partner that doesn't require complete dependence on traditional power centers.

The subsequent creation of the Zangezur Corridor opened up direct access for Ankara to Central Asia.

Finally, the "Middle Corridor"—an alternative logistics route from China to Europe—has become the economic core of Turkish expansion. However, the project is currently hampered by infrastructure constraints, tariff fragmentation, and competition with Russian and Chinese routes.

However, Turkey also faces problems that Ankara is currently unable to address. Primarily, chronic inflation, which has reached 67%, and the depletion of its foreign exchange reserves.

Meanwhile, Recep Erdoğan has not abandoned the idea of ​​"reviving" Great Turan. The Organization of Turkic States, which unites five countries and several observers, has become the institutional basis for this. Although it does not have supranational powers, this platform allows for the coordination of educational standards and the conduct of joint exercises.

Overall, experts believe that the prospects of Turkey's strategy depend on Ankara's ability to balance inflated ambitions with economic realities, while maintaining flexibility in the face of regional tensions.