Turkeys influence on the modernization of the Central Asian region in the first decade after the Collapse of the USSR through Turk Eximbank and Tika

The dissolution of the Soviet Union marked the advent of a new era in Turkey#39;s foreign policy. Since 1980, Turkey has adopted neoliberal policies and initiated the formation of bilateral relations with the newly independent Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan). As the institutionalization of the Central Asian countries was not yet complete at this time, this initial relationship was established in a unidirectional manner. In the first decade, Turkey#39;s aim was to strengthen bilateral relations on a trilateral basis, covering cultural, political and economic areas. As the Central Asian states gained their independence, Turkey took advantage of the vacuum of authority in the region and established TIKA in 1992 to strengthen political and cultural relations. In contrast, the Turkish Eximbank, which had been in operation since 1980, was established with the objective of facilitating economic relations and providing loans. In this period, Turkey aimed to consolidate its regional hegemony by using the two institutions as its soft power in its relations with Central Asia. However, considering economic and global conditions of the period, it is evident that Turkey was not the sole actor in Central Asia. Turkey received loans from the West and consequently served as a conduit between Central Asia and the West. It can be said that the investments made in the Central Asian region in the 1990s were aimed at accelerating the integration of the region into the capitalist system and attracting capital accumulation in the region to Turkey.