Modern Silk Road from Turkish perspective

By M. Hamza Ucar 

China non-stop prepares for the 21st century’s global leadership with the Belt and Road initiative. The project has drawn much attention in the Turkish media and think tanks. The project has many features including economy, politics, media, strategy and education etc. 

Turkey is one of the most stable countries in the Middle East. Because of the historical, strategical importance and financial opportunities, Turkey keeps the significant importance not only in the region but also in the global politics and the economy. This article represents the influences of the Turkish media and the think tank reports on Belt and Road initiative. 

This Oct. 11, 2013 file photo shows the Bosporus Bridge which connects the Asian, right, and European sides of the city in Istanbul, Turkey.[Photo: AP/File]

Generally, Turkey-China relations has several features to be focused on for developing economic, political and strategic relationship according to the chairman of Turkish Asian Strategic Center for Strategic Studies , Suleyman Sensoy:

1 Industrial and Financial Deepening

2 Security and Defense Industry 

3 Investment, Trade, Infrastructure and the Contacting 

4 Public Diplomacy; Local Authorities, Civil Society, Think Tanks and Media

5 Change of State Nature, Expectation Management and Multidimensional Security

6 ASEAN Region, Shanghai Cooperation Organization etc. and Integration in Asia

7 Energy, Water and Food Security

8 Science and Technology, Academy and Culture

9 The Middle East - Africa, South and Central Asia

These determinant factors of the relationship between both countries have significant role for the Belt and Road Initiative and build the bridges between two countries in the sense of public diplomacy, in another words Chinese and Turkish civil relations, official ties between two countries and furthermore cultural relations. 

Turkey has the significant soft-power and the influence in two regions; Central Asia and the Middle East. These two regions take the vital important role for the initiative. Since almost the 11th century geographically and culturally the connections line between the Middle East and the Central Asia on the Silk Road cross by Turkey. Hence, Turkey takes the role of the bridge between the West and the East according to being a West Asian country, and furthermore as a country that the history of Ottoman Empire, has the historical relations and heritages in the Middle East. Furthermore, being a member of the NATO and the partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Turkey becomes the best partner for its region to connect the east and west, and north and the east. 

In Turkey, the Belt and Road initiative named  Modern Silk-Road in the SETA( one of the most popular Think-Tank in Turkey) report by Professor Erdal Tanas Karagol  from Yildirim Bayezit University. According to him Belt and Road initiative will contribute to the developing countries including Turkey. He highlights the economic relations of Turkey with the Silk-Road countries. He also mentions the transformation and the strategical agreements between the Silk-Road countries are going to be beneficial for the long-term plans of the Belt and Road initiative. 

Building the relations between China and Turkey, there are some factors need to be worked on by two governments;

Specifically, both countries need to negotiate about the fourth factor. For building connections between Turkish and Chinese public, media takes significant role in both countries. Thus, Chinese and Turkish media outlets need to work on the interactive relations about the local news from both countries to introducing both countries to publics. 

Furthermore, as an urgent problem for the economic relations between two countries, visa policies of Turkey and China still need to be solved as soon as possible. Because, Turkey as a country which has a huge tourism sector needs Chinese tourists, so now Chinese tourists can have their e-visa in a day. But unfortunately, Turkish tourists cannot have their tourist visas as easy as Chinese people. Hence, this issue limits the relations between two peoples. 

It is known that the Middle East has been struggling with the security problems in recent years. Thus, there are few countries in the Middle East with stability and growing economy like Israel, Iran and Turkey. Especially after the immigration crisis in Syria, Turkey, Iran and Russia had a summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. Building the peace in the middle east, Turkey has significant role. Despite the crisis, Turkey didn’t stop the investments on the Silk Road, and the recent launch of Baku-Tiflis-Kars railroad connecting Beijing with London is solid evidence.

As a result, Belt and Road initiative will contribute to stability and economic situation in the Middle East and Central Asia. Many countries which are members of the Belt and Road project are already developing countries and some of them specifically in the Middle East are struggling with the security and economic problems. Thus, this project will be beneficial for the establishing peace and stability in these two regions. 

For all the features and factors, there are huge responsibilities on the think-tanks, media, academies and universities apart from the governments. Beyond all discussions and articles, Turkish public has huge hopes and expectations from the project to revive old bridges with China from Xian to Istanbul.

(M. Hamza Ucar is from Peking University Yenching Academy)