Turkish-Tajik Relations After the Independence

Abstract

This article aims ta analyze the relations between Turkey and Tajikistan in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The relations between these two countries remained rather limited in the period of 1991-1994 because Tajikistan was not Turkic, faced negative economic conditions, went through a civil war, and had closer ties with Iran and Russia. Between 1995 and 2003, however, these relations improved as Turkey better realized the fact that Tajikistan was both an inseparable part of Central Asian geography and critical far regional stability. Furthermore, in this period, Tajik Civil War ended with an important political reconciliation. It is concluded that although there has been a relative improvement in Turkish-Tajik relations since Tajikistan's independence, it has not yet reached ta a satisfactory level.

Keywords

Tajikistan, Regional Stability, Turkic Republics, Tajik Civil War, Turkish-Tajik Relations.

Citation

Akçalı, Pınar, “Turkish-Tajik Relations After the Independence”, International Relations, Volume 2, Issue 5 (Spring 2005), pp. 138-160.

Affiliations

• Pınar Akçalı, Assoc. Prof. Dr., Middle East Technical University, Department of Political Science and Public Administration