Three main components of Turkey's changing policy toward Central Asia after 1990: Energy, economy, culture

In 1991, when the Soviet Union demised and the Central Asian States gained their independence, entrance of multinational energy companies began to the region. The investigations proved that the Caspian Basin has considerable amounts of hydrocarbon reserves. Opening of those rich and untapped hydrocarbon reserves up to the world increased the importance of Central Asia as a region. Besides the oil and gas reserves the region possesses, its complex demographic structure, central position amid the three continents, and the significance it gained in terms of security after the 9/11 events, have made Central Asia such a region in which the global and regional actors began to rival for influence.Turkey, due to its historical, cultural, and ethnic connections with the states of the region, emerged as an important actor in Central Asia. In this dissertation, bilateral political, economic, and cultural relations Turkey has developed with the Central Asian Republics after 1990 are examined and it is made special emphasis to `energy? relations. Turkey?s energy profile and energy policies are studied, and Turkey?s place and role in the geopolitical environment shaped within the framework of Caspian hydrocarbons are evaluated.The energy sources of Central Asia are important for Turkey?s resource policy as well as pipeline policy. Caspian oil and gas, which are added as new supply sources for Turkey?s increasing energy demand, will also provide transit revenues to Turkey, increase Turkey?s importance and prestige in the region, and decrease the tanker traffic of the Turkish Straits. In this framework, when the policies of Turkey towards Central Asia after 1990 are examined, it is concluded that in comparison with present political, economic, cultural, and military relations, the most intense and successful relations have been developed in the field of energy.Key Words: Geopolitics, Central Asia, Caspian Basin, Turkic Republics, energy, Turkey?s energy policy, pipelines