TURKEY'S MILITARY AND POLITICAL COOPERATION WITH CENTRAL ASIAN STATES

Abstract

In the framework of multipolarity, the paper analyzes Turkey's political and military collaboration with Central Asian nations as a crucial component of contemporary regional security and the establishment of new centers of influence. The growing rivalry between global and regional countries over vital locations in Central Asia determines the topic's importance, making the examination of Turkish foreign policy action especially pertinent. The study's goal is to pinpoint the main trends, contributing elements, and outcomes of Turkey's expanding relations with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan.

The analysis of official papers, agreements, joint defense projects, arms transfer statistics, and military training programs in Turkish academies for the years 2020–2025 served as the basis for this work. The provision of Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles, joint production projects for armored vehicles and communication system modernization, the creation of a UAV operator training center, and Turkey's role in institutionalizing military-political interaction within the Organization of Turkic States are just a few of the topics covered in the article.

The study's findings demonstrate that Turkey is effectively utilizing both the ideological components of Turkic unity and the practical interests of Central Asian nations in modernizing its military. Potential hazards are also noted, including the necessity to maintain a strategic balance, the complexity of ties with other external actors in the region, and technological dependency on Turkey. In summary, it is emphasized that in order to advance military-political cooperation, Central Asian nations must actively handle new issues and take the shifting global environment into consideration.