THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY AS A DIPLOMATIC TOOL: A STUDY ON TÜRKİYE-CENTRAL ASIAN TURKIC STATES RELATIONS

This study examines the role of defense industry cooperation developed by Türkiye with the Central Asian Turkic states in strengthening the sovereignty and security capacities of these regional states. The study’s central argument is that Türkiye’s defense industry diplomacy functions not as a sole actor transforming the Central Asian security architecture, but rather as a complementary diplomatic tool contributing to efforts in military-technical capacity development, joint production, technology transfer, and the pursuit of sovereignty, security, and strategic autonomy. Based on comparative case analysis and literature review using quantitative datasets, this study evaluates Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan within the same analytical framework. In addition to the intensity of Türkiye’s defense industry cooperation with these countries in recent years, the institutionalized relations established with them within the context of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) were also decisive in the selection of case studies. The findings indicate that while different tools are employed for each country, the primary focus of Türkiye’s defense industry diplomacy in the region is to strengthen the sovereignty and security capabilities of the regional countries. The study argues that Türkiye’s role in the region is not so much to replace Russia or China, but rather to serve as a complementary strategic partner within the multi-vector foreign policy preferences of the Central Asian Turkic states.