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Turkic Council and Russia

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It is already seen that the Turkic Council Leaders Summit, which will be held in Istanbul on the 12th of November, 2021, will be a new page for both Central Asia and Eurasia. To say that the Summit will be a new Pact or an axis can not go beyond the gossip of a minority who envy this union because it is a spirit and a new perspective.

The fact that its name is the Turkish Council can never give the impression that it is an ethnic structure because it contains a phenomenon of unity aimed at integrating it into the global world order as a mosaic of civilization with economic and cultural values.

At the heart of this union lies the economic and political independence of the Council’s members. To illustrate this with examples; Why should it bother Russia when Kazakhstan changes its street names? These are not the basis of close relationship of Kazakhstan which is home to the Russian minority in the northern region with the Russians and Russia. Changing street names is just the starting point for the integration of Kazakh identity and culture with the world. Meaning of Kazakhstan for Russia is neither Crimea nor Ossetia. The ties of the two states are far above such problems. However, the senseless provocations of a number of chauvinist journalists and Russian nationalist political figures neither affect the Russia-Kazakhstan relationship nor contribute to Kazakhstan’s opening to the world. Because it is obvious that there is no contrary movement in the reformist initiatives implemented by the current Kazakhstan administration.

Or why should Uzbekistan’s recent dialogue with the West, especially with the United States, bother Russia? Is not Russia in close contact with the same countries? Isn’t Russia trying to further develop and strengthen its relations with the countries in question, and even trying to increase its commercial ties with them? Russia cannot be expected to have the right to say no to the integration efforts of Uzbekistan, which deals with such uncertainty due to its closeness to Afghanistan, as it is the case for Kazakhstan.

Or why would Russia want to thwart the efforts of the region’s most “democratic” country, Kyrgyzstan, which has no choice except China Tajikistan and Uzbekistan because of sharing border, to attract more investment and jobs to Kyrgyzstan. The agreements signed between Russia and the new Kyrgyz administration in February 2021 are not seen as a move to prevent the independence of the Kyrgyz people, and it cannot be considered that Kyrgyzstan’s agreements with distant geographies are against Russia.

As seen from the policy of Russia after Azerbaijan’s struggle in Karabakh, the trade moves made by Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve their problem and even to move relations to the next level are encouraging countries in the south of Russia to keep up with the rapidly changing world order. This suggests that in the new world order, Russia has slipped away from its repressive policies of the Cold War era and approached the issues with a softer and more understanding policy with a new timetable.

The biggest example of this is experienced in Turkey-Russia relations. Although Turkey’s increased presence both in its near region and in other continents has pitted the two countries against each other in many regions, it has forced Turkey and Russia that are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), to act together and harmoniously on many issues, and as a result it has kept them together within the framework of “win-win” politics. If Russia had not been able to adapt the change, who would have benefited from the struggle?

I never think that Russia perceives the Turkic Council as a threat. Despite that, I also do not think that Moscow has any idea of joining the Turkic Council.  Due to being included in the Council does not provide a benefit or a problem to Russia at this phase, this is just a political manoeuvre. On the other side of the medallion, The Council has no desire to include Russia either. Because the Council is neither a European Union (EU), a Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), nor a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), nor even NATO. It is a spiritual union, which is independent, aiming at integration with the world. The accomplishment and advancement of the Council mean a crystal-clear advantage to all. Neither Russia is the old Russia nor the Central Asian countries are states that have remained in the old world. Even though economic, social and military challenges indicate the Russian mobility in several fields is not the same as before, Moscow’s plan for the overcome this situation is to promote alike partnerships.

Should Russia somehow be part of the Turkic Council? In my opinion, it shouldn’t.  Because since the ground, where Russia which does not appeal to Council’s spirit, must be Anglo-Saxon based new alliances (such as AUKUS) to determine its new policy. Contrary to fact that Russia expands its economic difficulties to other areas and disseminates it further, it is time for Russia to realize that it is necessary to adopt a course of action to gather strength and merge its disintegrating politics.

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Seyfettin EROL
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Seyfettin EROL
Born in 1969, Dörtyol-Hatay, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Seyfettin Erol graduated from Boğaziçi University (BU), Department of Political Science and International Relations in 1993. After completing his master's degree at BU in 1995, Erol was accepted to the PhD program at BU in the same year. After completing his PhD at Ankara University in 2005, Erol became an associate professor in the field of “International Relations” in 2009 and a professor in 2014. Erol worked at the Eurasian Center for Strategic Studies (ASAM) between 2000 and 2006 and and served as the General Coordinator of ASAM for a period. In 2009, he served as also Founding Chairman and Board Member of the Institute for Strategic Thinking (SDE). He is also the Founding President of the Center for International Strategy and Security Studies (USGAM) and the President of the International Relations Institute of the New Türkiye Strategic Research Center (YTSAM). Prof. Erol has also served as the Director of Gazi University Strategic Research Center (GAZISAM). In 2007, Prof. Erol received the “Turkish World Service Award” from the Writers and Artists Foundation of the Turkic World (TÜRKSAV), and has received numerous awards for his academic work and his activities in the media. Some of them can be listed as follows: 2013 “Print Media of the Year Award” by the Association of Contemporary Democrats, 2015 “APM 10th Year Service Award”, “2015 Press-Intellectual of the Year Award” by the Writers' Union of Türkiye (YTB), “2016 Volunteer Ambassadors Media Honor Award” by the Anatolian Village Guards and Martyrs' Families, “2016 Türkiye Honor Award” by the Yoruk Turkmen Federations. Prof. Erol has 15 book studies. The names of some of them are as follows: “The United States of Turks from Dream to Reality”, “Türkiye-EU Relations: Foreign Policy and Internal Structure Problems”, “The New Great Game in Eurasia”, “The Search for Strategy in Turkish Foreign Policy”, “The Search for Security in Turkish Foreign Policy”, “The Republic of Türkiye-Russian Federation Relations”, “The Cold Organization of Hot Peace: The New NATO”, “Theoretical Approaches in Foreign Policy Analysis: The Case of Turkish Foreign Policy”, “Crises and Crisis Management: Actors and Case Studies”, “Kazakhstan” and “Current Issues in International Relations”. Since 2002, Prof. Erol, who has carried out radio programs such as “Eurasia Agenda”, “Strategic Perspective”, “Global Perspective”, “Analysis”, “File”, “News Desk”, “The Other Side of the Agenda” on TRT Türkiye's voice and TRT Radio 1 (Ankara Radio), made the programs “Arayış” on TRT INT television between 2004-2007, “Beyond the Border” on Kanal A television between 2007-2010 and “Foreign Policy Agenda” on BBN TÜRK television in 2020-2021. Prof. Erol, whose foreign policy column “Arayış” was published in Milli Gazete between 2012-2018, is consulted for his expertise in numerous national and international media outlets such as television, radio, newspapers, news websites and magazines. Prof. Erol, who also taught at Gazi University Department of International Relations and Ankara University Latin American Studies Center (LAMER) between 2006-2018, has been continuing his academic career as a faculty member at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University Department of International Relations since 2018. Since 2006, Prof. Erol has also taught in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Ufuk University. The main areas of interest and expertise of Prof. Erol and the titles of his courses at the undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels in this area are as follows: “Geopolitics”, “Security”, “Intelligence”, “Crisis Management”, “Current Issues in International Relations”, “Turkish Foreign Policy”, “Russian Foreign Policy”, “US Foreign Policy” and “Central Asia and South Asia”. Prof. Erol, whose articles-evaluations have been published in many journals and newspapers, has been editor of academic journals such as “Eurasia File”, “Strategic Analysis”, “Strategic Thinking”, “Gazi Regional Studies”, “The Journal of SSPS”, “Black Sea Studies”. He is currently in the editorial boards of “Regional Studies,” “International Crisis and Political Research,” “Gazi Academic View”, “Ege University Turkish World Surveys”, “Ankara International Social Sciences”, “Democracy Platform”. Prof. Erol, who has been working as the Founding President of the Ankara Center for Crisis and Political Studies (ANKASAM) since 2016, is married and has three children.