Turkey's 'Return' to Central Asia in a Shifting Global and Regional Context: New Opportunities and Limitations

Turkey has been becoming more active in Central Asia recently. This activism entails increasing linkages in the economic, energy, and transport areas, as well as deepening cultural and political relations. Although there are some continuities, Turkey's new engagement with the region differs from its previous engagements in important ways. The region has also changed, as have extra-regional actors and their roles. This article illustrates the shifting global and regional contexts, and how these shifts have motivated the AKP government's renewal of interest in Central Asia. The new regional constellations provide both opportunities and challenges for Turkey's Central Asia engagement. For example, competition among the major powers and regional countries' quest to diversify their foreign policies provide Turkey with new opportunities, yet Turkey's complex relations with each of these actors and the challenge of balancing limits its return.