2025
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, when Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan gained independence, the Turkish vision of uniting the Turkic world in cultural, linguistic, political, and economic terms gained significant importance. To enhance its influence in the region, Turkey began actively cooperating with these countries, also employing soft power strategies where Pan-Turkism plays a key role. Turkey seeks to assume a leading position in the Turkic world, but this ambition is not unanimously accepted in the aforementioned countries, particularly in Kazakhstan. Although both countries advocate for the unification of Turkic nations and actively cooperate within various Turkic organizations, their approaches to this issue differ significantly, creating some tensions in their relations. These differences stem from historical legacies, linguistic disparities, geopolitical strategies, and competition for leadership within the Turkic world.
Turkey supports the concept of Pan-Turkism, emphasizing common Oghuz-Turkic heritage. Although Pan-Turkic ideology originated outside the Ottoman Empire, among the Turkic people living in the Russian Empire, Ankara envisions itself as the cultural and political leader of the Turkic world, drawing on its Ottoman and Seljuk heritage. To realize this vision, Turkey has made significant investments in institutions such as the Yunus Emre Institute, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), and several other organizations. Furthermore, Turkey aims to achieve linguistic unity based on the Turkish language.
Kazakhstan, with its Kipchak Turkic traditions, approaches Turkic unity with caution and pragmatism. While supporting the idea of Turkic cooperation, Kazakhstan emphasizes its steppe-nomadic traditions and highlights the fact that historical Turkestan, considered the homeland of the Turks, is located within its territory. In this context, Kazakhstan positions itself as a unifying state for the Turkic world, underscoring its Kipchak roots and the legacy of the Golden Horde.
The Golden Horde also included the steppe lands of present-day Kazakhstan, which were predominantly inhabited by Turkic-speaking nomadic tribes. Kazakhstan views the period of the Golden Horde’s rule as a time of unification for Turkic peoples. In 2018, South Kazakhstan was renamed Turkestan, and the city of Turkestan in that region became a focal point for Turkic cooperation. In 2021, the city was announced as the cultural capital of the Turkic world.
Kazakhstan also promotes the so-called Nomad Games, held every two years, as a celebration of nomadic heritage. The legacy of the renowned poet and Sufi Ahmad Yasawi is presented as part of Kazakh culture. Turkestan, where Yasawi lived and taught, has been transformed into a cultural and spiritual center. The city is home to Yasawi’s mausoleum, which is included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
Regarding the pursuit of linguistic unity, it is important to note that Turkish language belongs to the Oghuz group, while Kazakh language is part of the Kipchak group. Turkey advocates for the adoption of a unified Turkic alphabet based on the Latin script, which distances Central Asian countries from the influence of the Cyrillic script tied to Russian heritage. Efforts to promote linguistic unity are particularly advantageous to Turkey, as they can lead to a perception of cultural dominance—a notion Kazakhstan may resist.
Although Turkey has achieved significant influence in Kazakhstan through the use of soft power, Kazakhstan pursues a multi-vector foreign policy, striving to maintain balanced relations, particularly with major powers like Russia and China. In 2016, following the attempted coup in Turkey, President Erdoğan accused the Gülen movement of orchestrating it and demanded the closure of Gülen-affiliated schools in Kazakhstan. Despite Turkey's pressure, Kazakhstan resisted, asserting that these schools were Kazakh institutions under local jurisdiction.
It is important to note that for Kazakhstan, Turkic cooperation primarily serves as a means for trade, infrastructure development, and regional progress. Mechanisms to manage tensions between Turkey and Kazakhstan have been developed, such as the Organization of Turkic States, which promotes a balanced approach to leadership, ensuring that all Turkic peoples have a voice in shaping the organization’s goals. The Khoja Ahmed Yasawi International Kazakh-Turkish University is aimed at fostering intellectual and cultural ties between the two nations. Additionally, the Turkic Academy, based in Astana and established in 2010, conducts scientific research on the Turkic world and has become one of the key institutions uniting Turkic countries. Despite these efforts, it should be noted that Russian language influence remains dominant in Kazakhstan.
Thus, Ankara’s emphasis on Oghuz traditions overshadows Kazakhstan’s Kipchak identity, creating a conflict over representation and influence within the Turkic world. Although both countries strive to deepen cooperation and emphasize their status as “brotherly” nations, their approaches to uniting the Turkic world, particularly at the ideological level, diverge leading to competition over leadership.