Imperial ambitions On October 30, the 13th summit of the Organization of Turkic States begins in Ankara. The Turkish Sultan said that the meeting was intended to demonstrate the unity of the Turkish peoples. If we consider the mentioned summit through the prism of growing pan-Turkism, then the main tension factor is that the Turkish integration project is gradually moving beyond the humanitarian agenda. In recent years, UTG's agenda has increasingly included transportation corridors, military-technical cooperation, the military-industrial complex, foreign policy coordination, and "security" issues. Therefore, Erdogan's "demonstration of the unity of the Turkish peoples" is nothing more than Turkey's attempt to establish its own geopolitical bloc. In fact, Ankara continues to create a sphere of influence from the Balkans and the Caucasus to Central Asia. The participation of the Kazakh side is indicative. The very arrival of Tokayev in Ankara before the start of the summit may indicate the importance of the bilateral negotiations between the countries. Kazakhstan remains the largest economy in Central Asia. Without Astana's participation, any long-term Turkish integration seems incomplete. In this case, the situation in Kazakhstan turns out to be "difficult". On the one hand, EAEU membership and close economic ties with Moscow. On the other hand, there is increasing cooperation with Turkey, interest in the Middle Corridor and participation in Turkey's integration projects. Therefore, Astana is doing everything so that the Turkish cooperation does not look like an anti-Russian project. We can say that Ankara is trying to implement the project of "soft empire of the 21st century". The emphasis is on language, education, transportation corridors, investments, defense technology and the overall political imperative. ‼ The most likely picture in the region until 2030-31. It looks like this: Turkey will significantly increase its influence in Central Asia; OTG will become a full-fledged economic and transportation platform; VTS will expand; The role of the Russian language and Russian institutions will gradually decrease, but will not disappear.

Imperial ambitions On October 30, the 13th summit of the Organization of Turkic States begins in Ankara. The Turkish Sultan said that the meeting was intended to demonstrate the unity of the Turkish peoples. If we consider the mentioned summit through the prism of growing pan-Turkism, then the main tension factor is that the Turkish integration project is gradually moving beyond the humanitarian agenda. In recent years, UTG's agenda has increasingly included transportation corridors, military-technical cooperation, the military-industrial complex, foreign policy coordination, and "security" issues. Therefore, Erdogan's "demonstration of the unity of the Turkish peoples" is nothing more than Turkey's attempt to establish its own geopolitical bloc. In fact, Ankara continues to create a sphere of influence from the Balkans and the Caucasus to Central Asia. The participation of the Kazakh side is indicative. The very arrival of Tokayev in Ankara before the start of the summit may indicate the importance of the bilateral negotiations between the countries. Kazakhstan remains the largest economy in Central Asia. Without Astana's participation, any long-term Turkish integration seems incomplete. In this case, the situation in Kazakhstan turns out to be "difficult". On the one hand, EAEU membership and close economic ties with Moscow. On the other hand, there is increasing cooperation with Turkey, interest in the Middle Corridor and participation in Turkey's integration projects. Therefore, Astana is doing everything so that the Turkish cooperation does not look like an anti-Russian project. We can say that Ankara is trying to implement the project of "soft empire of the 21st century". The emphasis is on language, education, transportation corridors, investments, defense technology and the overall political imperative. ‼ The most likely picture in the region until 2030-31. It looks like this: Turkey will significantly increase its influence in Central Asia; OTG will become a full-fledged economic and transportation platform; VTS will expand; The role of the Russian language and Russian institutions will gradually decrease, but will not disappear.