Turkey builds significant ties with Asia

Since its days as the capital of the Eastern Roman, Latin and Ottoman empires, Constantinople has historically been known as the “gateway to the east.”

Centuries later, modern-day Turkey is building significant bridges with Asia, most recently by joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as a dialogue partner.
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In sharp contrast to its rocky EU bid, Turkey’s admission into the SCO as a dialogue partner has been smooth.

Now a high-profile regional group covering about three-fifths of the Eurasia land mass, the SCO has served as a pivotal mechanism for regional security cooperation since it was established 10 years ago.

From primarily focusing on regional security, the inter-governmental organization, formed in 1996, has of late expanded into law enforcement and economic cooperation.

This is particularly enticing for Turkey as it tries to offset dwindling trade with debt crisis-hit Europe by making inroads into rising Asian markets.

“Turkey’s location at the crossroads of Asia, Caucas, the Black Sea, Europe and the Middle East means Turkish foreign policy has always been multi-dimensional,” said Murat Bilhan, a former Turkish ambassador and professor of international relations at Istanbul’s Kultur University.

“With Asia emerging, it is very important for Turkey to cooperate with nations like China, India and Russia,” he added.