Turkey-Afghanistan relations

This study broadly discusses Turkey's relations with Afghanistan from the Ottoman Period to 2018, referring to the historical background. Although Afghanistan is a geographically distant country, in terms of Turkey's strategical depth, it has a bond of communion, lore and civilization with Turkey. Therefore, Afghanistan is seen as a kin state that shares a common history, culture and religion.As the relations of both countries are discussed, Turkey's geopolitical inclinations are analyzed. Furthermore, Social Constructivism, the English School and Barry Buzan's Regional Security Complex theories are employed to understand Turkey's foreign policy towards Afghanistan. It is concluded that both countries have not detached from each other in spite of the changes in the domestic and foreign conjunctures, that there is a special kind of relationship contrasting to the other Muslim countries, and that Turkey's relations with its kin, Afghanistan has a distinctive and exceptional identity.