GORDIAN KNOT IN CENTRAL ASIA REGIONAL SECURITY COMPLEX: A MULTI-VECTOR ANALYSIS

Year 2020, Volume: 2 Issue: 2, 19 - 36, 15.07.2020

Alperen Zengın Ilyas Topsakal

Abstract

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan have gained their independence. The characteristics of the region, some of which are the Turkish-Islamic identity, common history, common culture, and shared state borders, interconnect the fates of these newly independent states. Therefore, the cooperation and integration of these states are essential for the security of the region. However, this cooperation and integration are obstructed due to some policies implemented during the Soviet Union period and the policies of the two great powers close to the region. In this study, which aims to analyze Central Asia within the framework of “Regional Security Complex Theory” and its analysis units, we try to evaluate the intra-regional problems and the policies of Russia and China through the philosophicalideological base, economic, political, and security units.

Keywords

Central Asia, Russia, China, Regional Security Complex

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