Türkiye and the Gulf Monarchies as Foreign Policy Balancers in Central Asia

The article is devoted to the analysis of the latest trends in trade, economic, and humanitarian cooperation of Central Asian countries with Türkiye and the Persian Gulf monarchies in the context of strengthening intra-regional integration of the C5. The article considers the opportunities and limitations of Türkiye and the Gulf countries as extra-regional players capable of claiming the role of a “third force” in the region. In 2023–2024, the Gulf countries sharply increased investments in key sectors of the Central Asian economies. With limited economic opportunities, Türkiye seeks to diversify its “menu” as much as possible, offering the C5 not only investments but also arms, humanitarian infrastructure, foreign policy support, and a common civilizational framework of the “Turkic world”. Despite the expansion of its influence in the post-Soviet space, Türkiye, unlike Russia and China, cannot claim to be a guarantor of security and economic stability in the foreseeable future. The author concludes that the C5 countries are complexifying the mosaic of their foreign policy partnerships, striving for a more balanced system of external actors’ participation in the regional affairs that excludes dominance of a single power. Türkiye and the Gulf countries compete for influence in Central Asia not only with Russia, China, and Western countries but also among themselves, thus playing the role of foreign policy balancers.