Narratives of Unity: Analysing Imaginative Practices in Shaping a Common Future for the Turkic World
Creators: name: Kola, Vehap
name: Beqa, Mentor
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 441005
subject: Social theory

description: Political fragmentation has been a recurring challenge for Turkic people, extending from China to the Mediterranean. Historically, attempts to unify Turkic nations under a single state, from the Seljuks and Mamluks to the Ottomans, have encountered numerous obstacles. These challenges have been tribal, systemic, and territorial in nature, often preventing the formation of cohesive Turkic identity and statehood. In contemporary settings, this fragmentation manifests as a significant barrier to regional cooperation among Turkic countries, a topic that has garnered considerable attention in political science and regional studies. Recent efforts to address this issue have seen a strategic shift, particularly from the early 2000s onwards, with Turkey emerging as a proactive leader aiming to rekindle a sense of unity across the Turkic world. This movement marks a departure from Turkey’s earlier, more limited, and Western-aligned foreign policy towards a stance that is increasingly independent and influential on a global scale (Aydınlı 2009). This renewed approach is not merely a political maneuver, but also a cultural re-engagement with Turkic nations. Leaders from Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan have progressively crafted narratives that foster a sense of a shared future. These narratives are pivotal, serving both to redefine inter-state relations and promote a vision of cooperation and unity that resonates with their collective historical and cultural heritage (Murinson, 2006). The transformation of international relations from a unipolar to a multipolar world further complicates the Turkic region’s dynamics. The narratives of unity and cooperation are increasingly relevant as they help position Turkic nations not only towards mutual cooperation but also as a collective entity within the global community. These narrative strategies are crucial, as they articulate a collective regional identity that acknowledges diverse national sovereignties while promoting a unified regional strategy (Taspinar, 2008). Given this background, this study investigates the specific narratives used by political and business leaders across the Turkic world to advocate for a unified future. The research question explores how these narratives operate at both political and economic levels to shape a collective vision for the future, aiming to understand the strategic and narrative mechanisms that facilitate this regional cohesion. By focusing on the interplay between narrative construction and regional policymaking, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of how strategic narratives can influence political and economic integration processes. This inquiry is positioned within broader academic discussions on regionalism and narrative identity construction, offering insights into the practical and theoretical implications of narrative use in regional policy-making (Browning &amp; Joenniemi, 2008; Neumann, 2002).