Роль исламского фактора во внешней политике Турции в Центральной Азии

Abstract

The article examines the religious component of Turkey's foreign policy strategy in the countries of Central Asia. Relying on a common Islamic identity with the Turkic republics, Ankara seeks to re-shape the geopolitical space of this strategically important region in its own interests. Back in the 90s, Turkey successfully managed to promote its version of moderate Islam in the countries of Cen-tral Asia, using state and non-state religious structures for this purpose. For official Ankara, Islam has become a tool for spreading the ideas of pan-Turkism as evidenced by the official discourse of top state officials and the activities of Turkish religious movements. The Islamization of Turkey's domestic policy under the current political leadership determines the religious and ideological con-tours of the country’s foreign policy. The authorities are intensifying the Islamic discourse position-ing Turkey as the center of the Muslim world. In the Muslim countries of Central Asia, Ankara as-pires to achieve Islamic and Turkic solidarity simultaneously, using the tools of “soft power” con-trolled by the state such as Dianet and the Turkish Religious Foundation. Despite the closure (ex-cept for Kyrgyzstan) of a network of educational institutions funded by the popular preacher F. Gulen, his followers managed to create a positive image of Turkey among the population of Central Asian countries. In the context of the world order transformation, Turkey will strengthen the ideo-logical and religious orientation of its foreign policy in the Central Asia which in the future may allow Ankara to increase its importance in a changing world.