Turkey as a middle power in Central Asia: regional cooperation amid geopolitical competition with Russia, China, and the United States
Yermekbayev A. Yekibassova Z.
2026Frontiers Media SA
Frontiers in Political Science
2026#8
Introduction: Amid the transformation of the global order and intensified Eurasian competition, Turkey has expanded its engagement with Central Asia through connectivity diplomacy, identity-based multilateralism, and selective security and economic cooperation. This article argues that Turkey’s regional strategy is best understood as middle power diplomacy driven by strategic autonomy. Methods: The study triangulates institutional and documentary analysis with an original cross-sectional perception survey (2023–2024), used as exploratory evidence. Results: Central Asia functions for Turkey as a low-to-moderate cost arena to operationalize strategic autonomy while avoiding direct confrontation with dominant regional actors. Turkey’s leverage stems from the combination of connectivity initiatives aligned with regional diversification interests, soft-power infrastructure (education, cultural production, humanitarian visibility), and targeted defence-industrial cooperation that complements the existing security hierarchy. These practices are linked to domestic debates in Turkey over pan-Turkic identity narratives, the limits of socio-political Islam in external outreach, and Ankara’s contested relationship with Europe and the wider West. Discussion: The findings indicate that Turkey’s influence in Central Asia is conditional and layered: it grows where identity and connectivity are translated into institutional routines and business networks, but remains constrained by Russia’s entrenched security role, China’s geo-economic scale, and uneven regional receptivity. Copyright
Central Asia , China , geopolitical competition , middle power diplomacy , Russia , softpower , the United States , Turkey
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Department of International Relations, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Department of Oriental Studies, R.B. Suleimenov Institute of Oriental Studies, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Department of International Relations
Department of Oriental Studies
10 лет помогаем публиковать статьи Международный издатель
Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026