The Turkic Factor as a Component of International Relations in Central Asia: the «Turkic World» Construct

Abstract

The article examines the first years of interstate interaction of the Turkicspeaking states of Central Asia through the prism of constructivism. The evolution of the “Turkic World” construct is traced from the ideas firstly proposed by N.A. Nazarbayev and T. Ozal to the decision to establish a secretariat for meetings of Heads of States. The role of the Turkic factor as a component of regional international relations is revealed. The results of the study indicate the possibility of implementing integration projects in the international political sphere within the framework of the constructivism paradigm, where not only the construct, but also its institutionalizing foundation exist due to the fact that individuals agree to observe conditional rules and to act as if that rules exist, while historically established connections are not an absolutely necessary component of such integration. At the same time, the Turkic factor in Central Asia can be considered as one of the institutionalizing components for regional international relations.