Turkish Cultural Diplomacy in Central Asia: Opportunities and Challenges

The collapse of the Soviet Union and the recognition of fourteen independent republics eliminated the historical borders of the former Soviet Union with its southern and eastern neighbors; and on the other hand, created a tempting buffer zone for the competition and hegemony of regional and extra-regional powers. Among the regional contenders of hegemony, Turkey enjoys a special place due to its lingual and somehow historical shared background with the newly independent republics. Cultural diplomacy is considered as one of the most significant tools to achieve the goals and national interests of Turkey in Central Asia. It is manifested by the Turkish political elite attempting to introduce Turkey as a "model of development". The present paper aims to investigate the application of Turkish cultural diplomacy in Central Asian republics in order to systematically and clearly study Ankara diplomacy and be a useful source for a better and more coherent process of its perceptions in comparison to other variables.