Turkey’s Central Asia pivot aimed to counter Iranian and Saudi influence

Evidence

Turkey’s reorientation toward the Caucasus and Central Asia was fueled not only by the dream of being the leader of a Turkic community of nations but also by the desire to counter Iran and Saudi Arabia from expanding their influence and promoting Islamic fundamentalism in this region. The Turks saw themselves as offering the “Turkish model” or the “idea of Turkey”—a secular, democratic Muslim state with a market economy —as an alternative. In addition, Turkey hoped to contain the resurgence of Russian influence. By providing an alternative to Russia and Islam, Turkey also would bolster its claim for support from and eventual membership in the European Union. — Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the…, 398

Categorization

• XREF: The ‘Turkish model’ as a third-way civilizational offer connects to my earlier notes on identity politics as positioning between rivals.