15 October 2024 | 19:38

Why Turkey is replacing “Central Asia“ with “Turkestan“: Historian's perspective

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Tengrinews.kz - Turkey is making significant changes to its school history curriculum, where the term "Central Asia" will be replaced with "Turkestan". This change has received support from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Tengrinews.kz - Turkey is making significant changes to its school history curriculum, where the term "Central Asia" will be replaced with "Turkestan". This change has received support from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Historian Yerzhan Toraygyrov, Deputy Director of the Chokan Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology, spoke to Tengrinews.kz about the origin of the term "Turkestan" in the context of Kazakhstan's history.

The Land of the Turks

The term "Turkestan" is ancient, with its first mention dating back to 639 AD, meaning "Land of the Turks." At that time, Turkic peoples dominated vast areas of Eurasia. The term persisted even after the fall of the great Turkic states. It became widely used during the Karakhanid dynasty and continued to be relevant until the early 20th century.

Historically, the region has been divided into three parts by the West: Eastern Turkestan, located in present-day western China, including the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region; Southern Turkestan, covering parts of northern Afghanistan and Iran; and Western Turkestan, which refers to the territories that became part of the Russian Empire in the 19th century, including southern Kazakhstan and Central Asian states. In 1867, this region was incorporated into the Turkestan Governorate of the Russian Empire.

Turar Ryskulov and the Turkic Republic

In April 1918, the Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was established. In 1919, Turar Ryskulov, a prominent Kazakh figure, proposed creating a Turkic Republic, uniting all Turkic-speaking and Muslim regions. However, this idea raised concerns in Moscow, leading to Ryskulov’s removal from his position. By 1924, Turkestan was divided into several Soviet national republics, such as the Uzbek SSR. The term "Turkestan" was gradually replaced by "Central Asia", a Soviet-internal designation not widely used abroad.

Central Asia

During the 18th and 19th centuries, Russian officials considered Turkestan to include southern Kazakhstan and parts of modern Uzbekistan, but Tajikistan and Turkmenistan were excluded. By the mid-19th century, the West referred to this region as "Central Asia", which included southern Kazakhstan, Central Asian states, and Afghanistan.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, newly independent states sought to redefine themselves. In 1992, Kazakhstan's President proposed replacing the term "Central Asia and Kazakhstan" with the internationally recognized "Central Asia", which included Mongolia and parts of western China. Sometimes, Afghanistan is also considered part of this region, though this is debated.

Turkestan in Turkish textbooks

Toraygyrov emphasizes that understanding the specific context in Turkish textbooks is crucial. If the term "Turkestan" refers to the medieval period, it accurately describes the region during the dominance of Turkic ethnic groups. However, in the modern context, it likely represents a shared cultural heritage rather than a political agenda.

"Turkey is probably focusing on highlighting the historical and cultural unity of the Turkic people. The term 'Turkestan' signifies the shared roots of Turkic peoples, including those in Kazakhstan, where we have the city of Turkestan and Turkestan Region," Toraygyrov explained.

He does not view this change as a threat, noting that while Turkey may emphasize historical connections, it is unlikely to pursue political influence through this narrative. Instead, it highlights a historical bond between Turkey and Turkic regions.

Turkey to replace “Central Asia“ with “Turkestan“ in educational curriculum

Turkey geography Central Asia

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