Republic of Türkiye

[ekrem]

Here i will write about Turkish republic. Who is interested in, can follow this thread.

 

[ekrem]

Turkey 15th biggest economy of the world.
Datas are from IMF.

Year 2007
GDP nominal : 658.8 billion $
GDP PPP : $1.026 trillion $
http://www.turkstat.gov.tr/PreHaberBultenleri.do?id=1949
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey#cite_note-2

Some countries in our pivotal region.

Iran 2007
GDP nominal: $294 billion
GDP PPP: $752 billion
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft...r=1&c=469,429,456,463&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP&grp=0&a=


Egypt 2007
GDP nominal: $127 Billion
GDP PPP: $403 Billion
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft...r=1&c=469,429,456,463&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP&grp=0&a=

Saudi-Arabia 2007
GDP nominal: $376 Billion
GDP PPP: $564 Billion
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft...r=1&c=469,429,456,463&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP&grp=0&a=


Syria 2007
GDP nominal: $37 Billion
GDP PPP: $87 Billion
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft...r=1&c=469,429,456,463&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP&grp=0&a=

 

[Gunny]

You back on your world domination kick?

 

[akiboy]

Surprising to know Iran has the 16th biggest economy in the world..

But i guess they rank pretty low in the UN human development Index.

 

[Toro]

Spammer.

Having said that, I quite liked Turkey. People were very friendly and there are great sites.

Too many Australians though...

 

[trobinett]

Nothing new here, carry on canavar.

 

[nibor]

I hate to be a stickler for SENSE and relevance but what exactly is your point..................

 

[Gunny]

Spammer.

Having said that, I quite liked Turkey. People were very friendly and there are great sites.

Too many Australians though...

The Aussies are invading Turkey?

 

[Gunny]

I hate to be a stickler for SENSE and relevance but what exactly is your point..................

Canavar is our resident Turkish ultra-freaked-out Nazi Nationalist. Been here off and on for years. He's the Joseph Goebbels of Turkey.

It would be to that Trobinett is referring.

 

[ekrem]

I hate to be a stickler for SENSE and relevance but what exactly is your point..................

My point is that i will concentrate my writing habit (which evolves in regular cycles) in this thread. From a theoretical perspective this thread will be spam, as i can foresee, that there will be post by post without any interaction with other users. But i do anyway do not interact much with people here. It's just some chosen ones (if i like or not ) i can count on one hand.

The other point is, that Turkey is a country sitting on one of the most valuable real assets in this world and is (you will recognize this in the proceeding thread) a country where is big dynamics from within. Not imposed.
This dynamic coupled with the prerequisite (economy, soft-power, military, trade etc) of this republic is predetermined to influence actions beyond its boarders. If you agree or ideologically influenced do not agree does not matter, Turkey is one of those countries worth to watch. I do not mean this solely from a foreign politics perspective but also from inner politics.

Finished saying that, it is normal that there will be posted some basic data. Nothing big, just to make possible a classification in relation to the pivotal region which consists either of a region where others put Turkey in, or where the constituted strategic outreach of this republic is. But i intend not to make this thread a comparison thread, but comparisons are unavoidable on some data.

 

[ReillyT]

My point is that i will concentrate my writing habit (which evolves in regular cycles) in this thread. From a theoretical perspective this thread will be spam, as i can foresee, that there will be post by post without any interaction with other users. But i do anyway do not interact much with people here. It's just some chosen ones (if i like or not ) i can count on one hand.

The other point is, that Turkey is a country sitting on one of the most valuable real assets in this world and is (you will recognize this in the proceeding thread) a country where is big dynamics from within. Not imposed.
This dynamic coupled with the prerequisite (economy, soft-power, military, trade etc) of this republic is predetermined to influence actions beyond its boarders. If you agree or ideologically influenced do not agree does not matter, Turkey is one of those countries worth to watch. I do not mean this solely from a foreign politics perspective but also from inner politics.

Finished saying that, it is normal that there will be posted some basic data. Nothing big, just to make possible a classification in relation to the pivotal region which consists either of a region where others put Turkey in, or where the constituted strategic outreach of this republic is. But i intend not to make this thread a comparison thread, but comparisons are unavoidable on some data.

Where do you live in Turkey?

 

[ekrem]

@ReillyT
When i am in Turkey (most of the year) i live in Gaziantep, which is trade hub to Syria and Iraq and a major industrial and agricultural factor within Turkey.
Originally known as Antep, the title Gazi (meaning victorious/veteran/heroic in Turkish) was added to the province's and the provincial capital's name in 1921, due to its population's extraordinary courage during the Turkish War of Independence when French troops tried to occupy south-east Turkey.
Meaning my ancestors kicked French out into today's Syria without Ataturk's liberation army which on the other hand kicked all occupiers of Anatolia out after collapse of Ottoman Empire.
Unlike Germans, my ancestors did not let occupiers slip over our women and mothers and live as none-rulers.

a structure of this thread. The list is not final and no linear strategy for courses of writing. Just a list what might be written here regularly or irregularity be it in this forum or another forum where such a thread might belong better into.


Foreign Policy:
a)
Interaction with "classical" allies
1. USA
2. EU
= NATO, EU-Membership

Interaction with pivotal region
1. Mid-East
2. -stans of Central Asia
3. Mediterranean
4. Balkan
5. Black Sea
6. Caucasus
7. North-Africa

Interaction with historical "classical" none-ally powers
1. Heavyweights within SCO

b)
enforce interests to our predefined strategic outreach

c)
Military and economical strategy and build-up so it is ensured we do not have to compel another arrangement to point c)

Inner politics:
a) Institutions
1. Army
2. Parties
2.1 strategies, goals of parties
3. judiciary
4. government
5. presidency
6. interaction between institutions

b) society
1. trends in society, statistical trend based on election history of ideology of population (right, left etc)
2. polls to different things including a) Institutions
3. interesting things not related to politics (culture etc)

Economy
1. growth
2. industrialization
3. budget
4. foreign trade
....
....
....
....

Environment
a) water management
b) water trade
c) infrastructure for water utilization in foreign policy
d) afforestation


Military (none inner-politics related)
....
....
....
....

 

[onedomino]

Foreign Policy:
a)
Interaction with "classical" allies
1. USA
2. EU
= NATO, EU-Membership

Interaction with pivotal region
1. Mid-East
2. -stans of Central Asia
3. Mediterranean
4. Balkan
5. Black Sea
6. Caucasus
7. North-Africa

Interaction with historical "classical" none-ally powers
1. Heavyweights within SCO

b)
enforce interests to our predefined strategic outreach

c)
Military and economical strategy and build-up so it is ensured we do not have to compel another arrangement to point c)

Inner politics:
a) Institutions
1. Army
2. Parties
2.1 strategies, goals of parties
3. judiciary
4. government
5. presidency
6. interaction between institutions

b) society
1. trends in society, statistical trend based on election history of ideology of population (right, left etc)
2. polls to different things including a) Institutions
3. interesting things not related to politics (culture etc)

Economy
1. growth
2. industrialization
3. budget
4. foreign trade
....
....
....
....

Environment
a) water management
b) water trade
c) infrastructure for water utilization in foreign policy
d) afforestation


Military (none inner-politics related)
....
....
....
....
__________________

Come on canavar. At least in the past one could make sense of your posts. What's this stuff supposed to mean?

 

[Toro]

The Aussies are invading Turkey?

I backpacked through Europe after college. There were about a billion Aussies in Turkey, I swear. Nice people, but "G'day mate!" isn't the most common phrase I want to hear at the Aya Sofia.

 

[Gunny]

@ReillyT
When i am in Turkey (most of the year) i live in Gaziantep, which is trade hub to Syria and Iraq and a major industrial and agricultural factor within Turkey.
Originally known as Antep, the title Gazi (meaning victorious/veteran/heroic in Turkish) was added to the province's and the provincial capital's name in 1921, due to its population's extraordinary courage during the Turkish War of Independence when French troops tried to occupy south-east Turkey.
Meaning my ancestors kicked French out into today's Syria without Ataturk's liberation army which on the other hand kicked all occupiers of Anatolia out after collapse of Ottoman Empire.
Unlike Germans, my ancestors did not let occupiers slip over our women and mothers and live as none-rulers.

a structure of this thread. The list is not final and no linear strategy for courses of writing. Just a list what might be written here regularly or irregularity be it in this forum or another forum where such a thread might belong better into.


Foreign Policy:
a)
Interaction with "classical" allies
1. USA
2. EU
= NATO, EU-Membership

Interaction with pivotal region
1. Mid-East
2. -stans of Central Asia
3. Mediterranean
4. Balkan
5. Black Sea
6. Caucasus
7. North-Africa

Interaction with historical "classical" none-ally powers
1. Heavyweights within SCO

b)
enforce interests to our predefined strategic outreach

c)
Military and economical strategy and build-up so it is ensured we do not have to compel another arrangement to point c)

Inner politics:
a) Institutions
1. Army
2. Parties
2.1 strategies, goals of parties
3. judiciary
4. government
5. presidency
6. interaction between institutions

b) society
1. trends in society, statistical trend based on election history of ideology of population (right, left etc)
2. polls to different things including a) Institutions
3. interesting things not related to politics (culture etc)

Economy
1. growth
2. industrialization
3. budget
4. foreign trade
....
....
....
....

Environment
a) water management
b) water trade
c) infrastructure for water utilization in foreign policy
d) afforestation


Military (none inner-politics related)
....
....
....
....

Big deal. Who HASN'T kicked France's ass?

 

[ekrem]

Please leave all your ideological sides offside and read. I think this is a quite informative post.

The Jamestown Foundation had some nice articles these days/weeks on Pan-Turkism. First i will sum-up those articles and then write my own commentary and additional infos.
The rebirth of Pan-Turkism? ----- January 11, 2008

Pan-Turkism takes step forward in Eurasia ----- February 29, 2008

In the articles it is mentioned that by the initiative of Kazakh president Nazarbayev a Turkic inter-parliamentary institution is being set-up.
From all independent Turkic states (Note: There are still Turkic federal Republics in Russia and Ukraine) currently
- Turkey
- Azerbaycan
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgizistan
have signed the agreement at the latest "Friendship, Brotherhood, and Cooperation Congress of the Turkic States". Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan currently did not sign the agreement.
Jamestown Foundation questions whether this Parliament will go political or just enhance economical issues between the member states and puts this development in a negative context for Russia. Also Jamestown Foundation questions how Turkic states will overcome some problems which they currently have and how this Parliament will actually work.
Due to the petrol dollars of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, Jamestown Foundation gives those 2 states a heavy role within the Parliament.

The questions Jamestown Foundation is asking are answered by the Turkishdailynews.com:
- 50 member Parliament of Turkic Unity, on a European Union model
- Deputies of Parliament will be represented in proportion to the country's population
- Headquarters in Istanbul
- Parliament will have a logo, an emblem, a Web site and liaison offices in each member country
- Three Parliament Commissions:
1. Foreign affairs
2. Social affairs
3. Economic Relations and Eurasian countries Commission
- Turkey will undertake the logistic requirements of the parliament including construction of the building

The "Friendship, Brotherhood, and Cooperation Congress of the Turkic States" is held every year in another Turkic country. Participation is on State President or Prime-Ministry level. The latest Congress was in Azerbaycan's capital Baku.
Now this Congress gets a permanent Secretariat in Istanbul. The permanent secretariat will be overseeing preparation work for the Congress meetings. The secretariat will also follow up decisions made at the Congress, thereby providing immediate resolution to troubles at the implementation stage and giving the summit much higher functionality.

We have the EU, Arab League, OIC, and some other multi-national organizations in this world. Now we also will have something like a Commonwealth of Turkic States. This is not an alliance or something like that. It is the first steps for unity which may come or may not come in the future.
What stays is, that this "Commonwealth" is very rich in resources beginning from oil over gold to uranium. Also all states have high economic growth rates and rising state expenditure budgets.

So, how much can an integration between the countries go?
There are several factors influencing this:
1. Economic relations
2. Cultural Relations

One of the most important things is language.
After Azerbaycan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan already switched their Turkish language to Latin alphabet, Kazakhstan now also makes a language reform leaving Russian Cyrillic Alphabet.
See info on American Chamber of Commerce in Kazakhstan.
The Turkish state-run Linguistics Board (TDK) is cooperating with Kazakhstan in language transition.
Official statement in Turkish from Turkish Linguistic Board (TDK) can be found here .
It is foreseen that the language transition will take 12-15 years in Kazakhstan.
All countries speak a different dialect of Turkish, whilst Azerbaijani-, Uzbek- and Turkmen- Turkish are the nearest to Turkey-Turkish.
Kazakh Turkish is the most far dialect to Turkey-Turkish.
You can see here a vocabulary comparison between the different dialects of Turkish.
So i can speak and understand quick Turkmen Turkish, Azerbaijan Turkish.
In Kazakh Turkish the speaker must speak slowly if i want do not want to understand just the half of what he is telling me.

The next point is raising awareness under the societies of each country that there is a Turkic world.
Turkey has 5 state Television Channels. TRT 1 to 3, TRT INT and TRT Turk.
TRT Turk is solely sending on east beam to Central Asia and the content is strictly Turkey related.
TRT Turk now gets transformed into a multi-national TV Channel which produces content related to all Turkic countries.
TRT Turk will get fusioned with other TV channels like Ictimai TV from Azerbaijan.
The new channel will send non-stop news from the Turkic world to all Turkic countries.
The Europeans do also have something similar called Euronews.

Since 1993, Turkey has given 18.000 scholarships in Turkish Universities to students from Turkic countries. These are the elites of tomorrow in the Turkic countries educated by Turkey.
All students from Turkic countries are free from obligatory University acceptance tests in Turkish Universities. Every year Higher Education body of Turkey allocates contingents for scholarships to Turkic students.
In Turkey there are many NGO's financing the needs of Turkic students.
Even Japanese Nippon-Foundation finances books for Turkic students in Turkish Universities.

Turkey does not only educate Turkic students in Turkey, but also in Turkic countries itself. In Kyrgizistan for example Turkish State finances and operates 2 Universities (Manas and Ataturk Universities). Also Turkey finances and operates 14 colleges in Kyrgizistan.
Additional to that Turkey finances 2 more universities (Osh University, Kyrgiz-Uzbek University) but leaves operation to Kyrgiz Turks. These additional 2 universities have currently 20.000 students.
http://www.jamestown.org/edm/article.php?article_id=2372320
It is significant when we note that Kyrgizistan has a total population of 5,3 million people.
Turkish government is the largest investor in the Kyrgyz educational system.

In Kazakhstan for example Turkish state operates Yesevi University, Suleyman Demirel University and 27 High Schools/Lyceums. According to Salyk Zimanov from the "National Academy of Science of Kazakhstan" Turkish High Schools in Kazakhstan won half of the whole number of medals Kazakhstan schoolchildren were awarded in International Olympiads. 97 per cent of the graduates are annually admitted to both national and foreign Universities.
http://www.kazpravda.kz/index.php?uin=1152249713&act=archive_date&day=17&month=9&year=2003
Turkish State building the Elite in Kazakhstan.

In Turkmenistan there is the Turkmen-Turkish University. According to the "International Herald Tribune (IHT)" Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat alone is home to 20 Turkish schools considered to be the best in the whole country.

the city is home to around 20 Turkish schools, many considered to be among the best in the country.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/15/asia/AS-ANL-Turkmenistan-Turkeys-Influence.php

In Azerbaijan there is the Kafkas University.
According to Wikipedia the first and the only foreign private university in the country.
Turkey has to all Turkic countries the best relations with Azerbaijan.
Just believe me when i am saying that Turkish state operates also lyceums and high schools in Azerbaijan without giving any links.


So. Why do i have always said "Turkish State"?
Because we need a seperation between Turkish State and Turkish NGO's, Turkish Movements, Turkish Business. All of them are also heavily engaged in education systems of Turkic countries.
Turkey has 2 major religious streams. One Sunnites and the other Alevites.
"Cag Ögretim" which simply means "Epoch Teaching" is from Turkish Alevites and is mainly operateing in Azerbaijan.
KATEV is from Turkish Sunnites, mainly the Gülen movement.
The Gülen movement is lead by Gülen.

Allthough Gülen is considered by the West as a Reformer of Islam, he had to flee to USA in 1997 to avoid Turkish jail.
British House of Lords makes Gülen conferences. Western Media portrays him as messiahs. You will find much on the Internet about him.
The Economist published on 6th March 2008 2 articles about Gülen movement
Global Muslim networks

A farm boy on the world stage
I recommend you to read the first link.
The Gülen movement is a multi-billion $ money printing machine, a mix of Islamic puritanism and capitalism. You may not heard of Gülen movement, but that is because of non-terrorism and ideology of Gülen movement rather then insignificance, and unfortunately there are other islamic groups to talk about in Anti-Terror times.

The global Gülen network, with over 500 companies, hundreds of schools, thousands of loyal teachers, and followers numbering in the millions, poses the single greatest challenge to the Kemalist ideology in Turkey today.

http://www.meforum.org/article/1531
Most of money of Gülen movement goes into education all over the world.

Like The Economist also said:

They claim to have founded more than 500 places of learning in 90 countries.

http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10808408

From the Zürich (Swiss) Technological University:

In line with Gulen's vision, his followers have travelled around the world and created hundreds of modern highly-regarded schools worldwide. These schools first emerged in Turkey and in the neighbouring Central Asian countries but are now established in South and Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia. In Western Europe they built community centres and student hostels to provide support for students studying in the mainstream or public education system.
Despite being inspired by Gulen's ideas, none of these schools bear his name or are registered under his name. Rather, these schools are registered under the name of individual businessman or foundations.
In Southeast Asia, the group has started schools in virtually all the Southeast Asian countries.

http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?ID=17551

A big portion of schools from Gülen movement are in Central Asia.

The Turkish City of Kayseri
Home to the "Islamic Calvinists"
Kayseri is booming. It holds the world record for the number of factories opening in day - 190. The city boasts 50 out 500 of the wealthiest people in Turkey.
http://www.qantara.de/webcom/show_article.php/_c-476/_nr-759/i.html
Full report:
http://www.esiweb.org/index.php?lang=en&id=156&document_ID=69

Anatolian Tigers
is a term internationally used in the context of the Turkish economy to refer to and to explain the phenomenon of a number of cities in Turkey which have displayed impressive growth records since the 1980s, as well as to a defined new breed of entrepreneurs rising in prominence and who can often be traced back to the cities in question and who generally rose from the status of SMEs [1].
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatolian_Tigers

Konya is also a religious Anatolian Tiger. I would clearly say more religious then Kayseri.
My hometown Gaziantep is also Anatolian Tiger, but we are considered nationalist in election preference.

After this little excursus there is more to follow (when i have time) on Turkic states and Turkey and i will put this into context of
Foreign Policy:
a)
Interaction with "classical" allies
1. USA
2. EU
= NATO, EU-Membership

 

[ekrem]

I still didn't write about Turkish factor in Central Asian economies.
Central Asian economies must be divided into Oil/Gas sector and Non-Oil sector.
Allthough Turkish state firms and private firms are also involved in these sectors, the Multi-National oil multies outperform Turkish factor in Oil/Gas sectors.

But Oil/Gas is not endless and Turkish firms have dominant position in non-Oil/Gas sectors. Building lasting interconnectivity. This will get the most detailed part of my writitings about Turkic States subject based on the fact, that in economy is happening the most. You will also learn of a Turkish business man ascent to Minister of Turkmenistan Government.
In the end, all talk of "Brotherhood" is cheap talk if there is no economical leverage on which cultural and political approach can accelerate.
Turkey is driving a multi-level strategy to Turkic states (Economy, Military, Education, Culture etc.).

But i want to deliver some basic info before:


Oghuz Turks
Oghuz is not an ethnic name, and it can be simply translated into "Turkic tribes". The "Oghuz Turk branch" or "Western Turk branch" is one of the traditional six branches of the modern Turkic peoples. The "Oghuz branch" is a geographical and historical designation, not a separate ethnic term since the Turkic peoples of the world share the same ethnic roots.

The Oghuz Turks are ancestors of today's Southwestern Turks,[1][2][3][4] totalling a combined population of 100 million and ranging from eastern Europe to western Asia. The peoples who identify themselves as descendants of the Oghuz Turks include the Azerbaijanis, Turks (of Turkey), Turkish Cypriots, Balkan Turks, Turkmens, Qashqai, Khorasani, Gagauz and Salar.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oghuz_Turks

Because of that Turkmenistan- and Azerbaijani-Turkish is nearly identical to Turkey-Turkish. Like Turkey-Turks they are also Oghuz.
Kazakhs e.g. are another Turkic tribe.
Safavids of Iran and Iran Azerbaijanis are also Oghuz.
So are Turcomens in Iraq.
Just because Turcomens in Iraq do not have Turkish passport does not mean Turkey has no responsibility for them. It's the same responsibility for all other Oguz Turks. Like Cypriot Turks.

As Turkey Oghuz Turks are most potent in history (Seljuk, Ottoman) and present, Turkey has the accumulated duty to look for all other Oghuz Turks numbering about 100 Mio in total.
Oghuz Turks plus other Turkic tribes = 163 Mio people.
http://www.joshuaproject.net/affinity-blocs.php?rop1=A015

To look at all 163 Million is a huge responsibility extremely over-stretching current Turkish capabilities. Impossible at this stage. But we are nearing a point where it is possible to look after the most Turkic tribes by interconnectivity and rising Turkish power.
In analogy to our glorious past Turkey (tiny 80 years old) has still to write its place in history books.

Dark blue = independent country with Turkic laguage
Light blue = federal state within foreign country with Turkic language
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_people#cite_note-3

 

[Gunny]

Please leave all your ideological sides offside and read. I think this is a quite informative post.

The Jamestown Foundation had some nice articles these days/weeks on Pan-Turkism. First i will sum-up those articles and then write my own commentary and additional infos.
The rebirth of Pan-Turkism? ----- January 11, 2008

Pan-Turkism takes step forward in Eurasia ----- February 29, 2008

In the articles it is mentioned that by the initiative of Kazakh president Nazarbayev a Turkic inter-parliamentary institution is being set-up.
From all independent Turkic states (Note: There are still Turkic federal Republics in Russia and Ukraine) currently
- Turkey
- Azerbaycan
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgizistan
have signed the agreement at the latest "Friendship, Brotherhood, and Cooperation Congress of the Turkic States". Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan currently did not sign the agreement.
Jamestown Foundation questions whether this Parliament will go political or just enhance economical issues between the member states and puts this development in a negative context for Russia. Also Jamestown Foundation questions how Turkic states will overcome some problems which they currently have and how this Parliament will actually work.
Due to the petrol dollars of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, Jamestown Foundation gives those 2 states a heavy role within the Parliament.

The questions Jamestown Foundation is asking are answered by the Turkishdailynews.com:
- 50 member Parliament of Turkic Unity, on a European Union model
- Deputies of Parliament will be represented in proportion to the country's population
- Headquarters in Istanbul
- Parliament will have a logo, an emblem, a Web site and liaison offices in each member country
- Three Parliament Commissions:
1. Foreign affairs
2. Social affairs
3. Economic Relations and Eurasian countries Commission
- Turkey will undertake the logistic requirements of the parliament including construction of the building

The "Friendship, Brotherhood, and Cooperation Congress of the Turkic States" is held every year in another Turkic country. Participation is on State President or Prime-Ministry level. The latest Congress was in Azerbaycan's capital Baku.
Now this Congress gets a permanent Secretariat in Istanbul. The permanent secretariat will be overseeing preparation work for the Congress meetings. The secretariat will also follow up decisions made at the Congress, thereby providing immediate resolution to troubles at the implementation stage and giving the summit much higher functionality.

We have the EU, Arab League, OIC, and some other multi-national organizations in this world. Now we also will have something like a Commonwealth of Turkic States. This is not an alliance or something like that. It is the first steps for unity which may come or may not come in the future.
What stays is, that this "Commonwealth" is very rich in resources beginning from oil over gold to uranium. Also all states have high economic growth rates and rising state expenditure budgets.

So, how much can an integration between the countries go?
There are several factors influencing this:
1. Economic relations
2. Cultural Relations

One of the most important things is language.
After Azerbaycan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan already switched their Turkish language to Latin alphabet, Kazakhstan now also makes a language reform leaving Russian Cyrillic Alphabet.
See info on American Chamber of Commerce in Kazakhstan.
The Turkish state-run Linguistics Board (TDK) is cooperating with Kazakhstan in language transition.
Official statement in Turkish from Turkish Linguistic Board (TDK) can be found here .
It is foreseen that the language transition will take 12-15 years in Kazakhstan.
All countries speak a different dialect of Turkish, whilst Azerbaijani-, Uzbek- and Turkmen- Turkish are the nearest to Turkey-Turkish.
Kazakh Turkish is the most far dialect to Turkey-Turkish.
You can see here a vocabulary comparison between the different dialects of Turkish.
So i can speak and understand quick Turkmen Turkish, Azerbaijan Turkish.
In Kazakh Turkish the speaker must speak slowly if i want do not want to understand just the half of what he is telling me.

The next point is raising awareness under the societies of each country that there is a Turkic world.
Turkey has 5 state Television Channels. TRT 1 to 3, TRT INT and TRT Turk.
TRT Turk is solely sending on east beam to Central Asia and the content is strictly Turkey related.
TRT Turk now gets transformed into a multi-national TV Channel which produces content related to all Turkic countries.
TRT Turk will get fusioned with other TV channels like Ictimai TV from Azerbaijan.
The new channel will send non-stop news from the Turkic world to all Turkic countries.
The Europeans do also have something similar called Euronews.

Since 1993, Turkey has given 18.000 scholarships in Turkish Universities to students from Turkic countries. These are the elites of tomorrow in the Turkic countries educated by Turkey.
All students from Turkic countries are free from obligatory University acceptance tests in Turkish Universities. Every year Higher Education body of Turkey allocates contingents for scholarships to Turkic students.
In Turkey there are many NGO's financing the needs of Turkic students.
Even Japanese Nippon-Foundation finances books for Turkic students in Turkish Universities.

Turkey does not only educate Turkic students in Turkey, but also in Turkic countries itself. In Kyrgizistan for example Turkish State finances and operates 2 Universities (Manas and Ataturk Universities). Also Turkey finances and operates 14 colleges in Kyrgizistan.
Additional to that Turkey finances 2 more universities (Osh University, Kyrgiz-Uzbek University) but leaves operation to Kyrgiz Turks. These additional 2 universities have currently 20.000 students.
http://www.jamestown.org/edm/article.php?article_id=2372320
It is significant when we note that Kyrgizistan has a total population of 5,3 million people.
Turkish government is the largest investor in the Kyrgyz educational system.

In Kazakhstan for example Turkish state operates Yesevi University, Suleyman Demirel University and 27 High Schools/Lyceums. According to Salyk Zimanov from the "National Academy of Science of Kazakhstan" Turkish High Schools in Kazakhstan won half of the whole number of medals Kazakhstan schoolchildren were awarded in International Olympiads. 97 per cent of the graduates are annually admitted to both national and foreign Universities.
http://www.kazpravda.kz/index.php?uin=1152249713&act=archive_date&day=17&month=9&year=2003
Turkish State building the Elite in Kazakhstan.

In Turkmenistan there is the Turkmen-Turkish University. According to the "International Herald Tribune (IHT)" Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat alone is home to 20 Turkish schools considered to be the best in the whole country.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/15/asia/AS-ANL-Turkmenistan-Turkeys-Influence.php

In Azerbaijan there is the Kafkas University.
According to Wikipedia the first and the only foreign private university in the country.
Turkey has to all Turkic countries the best relations with Azerbaijan.
Just believe me when i am saying that Turkish state operates also lyceums and high schools in Azerbaijan without giving any links.


So. Why do i have always said "Turkish State"?
Because we need a seperation between Turkish State and Turkish NGO's, Turkish Movements, Turkish Business. All of them are also heavily engaged in education systems of Turkic countries.
Turkey has 2 major religious streams. One Sunnites and the other Alevites.
"Cag Ögretim" which simply means "Epoch Teaching" is from Turkish Alevites and is mainly operateing in Azerbaijan.
KATEV is from Turkish Sunnites, mainly the Gülen movement.
The Gülen movement is lead by Gülen.

Allthough Gülen is considered by the West as a Reformer of Islam, he had to flee to USA in 1997 to avoid Turkish jail.
British House of Lords makes Gülen conferences. Western Media portrays him as messiahs. You will find much on the Internet about him.
The Economist published on 6th March 2008 2 articles about Gülen movement
Global Muslim networks

A farm boy on the world stage
I recommend you to read the first link.
The Gülen movement is a multi-billion $ money printing machine, a mix of Islamic puritanism and capitalism. You may not heard of Gülen movement, but that is because of non-terrorism and ideology of Gülen movement rather then insignificance, and unfortunately there are other islamic groups to talk about in Anti-Terror times.

http://www.meforum.org/article/1531
Most of money of Gülen movement goes into education all over the world.

Like The Economist also said:

http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10808408

From the Zürich (Swiss) Technological University:

http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?ID=17551

A big portion of schools from Gülen movement are in Central Asia.

The Turkish City of Kayseri
Home to the "Islamic Calvinists"
Kayseri is booming. It holds the world record for the number of factories opening in day - 190. The city boasts 50 out 500 of the wealthiest people in Turkey.
http://www.qantara.de/webcom/show_article.php/_c-476/_nr-759/i.html
Full report:
http://www.esiweb.org/index.php?lang=en&id=156&document_ID=69

Anatolian Tigers
is a term internationally used in the context of the Turkish economy to refer to and to explain the phenomenon of a number of cities in Turkey which have displayed impressive growth records since the 1980s, as well as to a defined new breed of entrepreneurs rising in prominence and who can often be traced back to the cities in question and who generally rose from the status of SMEs [1].
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatolian_Tigers

Konya is also a religious Anatolian Tiger. I would clearly say more religious then Kayseri.
My hometown Gaziantep is also Anatolian Tiger, but we are considered nationalist in election preference.

After this little excursus there is more to follow (when i have time) on Turkic states and Turkey and i will put this into context of
Foreign Policy:
a)
Interaction with "classical" allies
1. USA
2. EU
= NATO, EU-Membership

Are you kidding?

Leave our ideologies aside and listen to YOUR warped view of things?

I notice no mention in all your junk of how many psychological therapists Turkey has. Please find one of them as soon as you possibly can.

 

[ekrem]

Are you kidding?

Leave our ideologies aside and listen to YOUR warped view of things?

I notice no mention in all your junk of how many psychological therapists Turkey has. Please find one of them as soon as you possibly can.

There is comprehend and serious information on the screen and there should be converting capability in the brain. I do not want to get personal but i know you have this capability. Or not?
Maybe you think i am Megalomaniac, but i only documented mostly Turkey's educational engagement.
This is no megalomany but serious things going on.

Strategic thinking people in knowledge of this region - if they didn't have had the infos before - can now process infos into their strategic assessment of their approach to the region. By region i for this part limited myself to Central Asia. Here i have yet to write one of the most important aspects (economy).

Further in the approaching thread you will see that Turkey has strategies in all directions. It is an act of preference 1) that i begin with this geography and 2) where Turkish state does canalize more efforts then into other regions.

This does anyway not mean, that Turkey is acting like driving on a oneway-street.
We have capabilities to drive on different high-ways at the same time, allthough with different speed.
Even e.g. if we drive wit different speed on Mid-East, Balkan, Mediterenean Highways, it does not mean that OTHER motorist driving against the Turkish traffic on Highways is going to have a platitudinous experience.
This speaking for our pivotal neighbours excludeing Russia.
USA factor in our pivotal region is also a factor, and USA being the only factor to crash Turkish motor especially on Mid-East highway. After that USA motorist will have to take a huge stop-over for a total general overhaul.
Iran is just some marten nibbling on some US cables.

That discussion i do not want to lead, as in my processing capabilty of last months , this discussion has not anymore a factual base.

 

[Gunny]

There is comprehend and serious information on the screen and there should be converting capability in the brain. I do not want to get personal but i know you have this capability. Or not?
Maybe you think i am Megalomaniac, but i only documented mostly Turkey's educational engagement.
This is no megalomany but serious things going on.

Strategic thinking people in knowledge of this region - if they didn't have had the infos before - can now process infos into their strategic assessment of their approach to the region. By region i for this part limited myself to Central Asia. Here i have yet to write one of the most important aspects (economy).

Further in the approaching thread you will see that Turkey has strategies in all directions. It is an act of preference 1) that i begin with this geography and 2) where Turkish state does canalize more efforts then into other regions.

This does anyway not mean, that Turkey is acting like driving on a oneway-street.
We have capabilities to drive on different high-ways at the same time, allthough with different speed.
Even e.g. if we drive wit different speed on Mid-East, Balkan, Mediterenean Highways, it does not mean that OTHER motorist driving against the Turkish traffic on Highways is going to have a platitudinous experience.
This speaking for our pivotal neighbours excludeing Russia.
USA factor in our pivotal region is also a factor, and USA being the only factor to crash Turkish motor especially on Mid-East highway. After that USA motorist will have to take a huge stop-over for a total general overhaul.
Iran is just some marten nibbling on some US cables.

That discussion i do not want to lead, as in my processing capabilty of last months , this discussion has not anymore a factual base.

Dude, how long have you been trying to sell this junk on this board? Three-four years? Even the few people who have actually expressed an interest are put off by your deluded arrogance and Nazi-like attitude.

Get a clue.