For more than three decades, Türkiye has aimed to establish closer ties with Central Asian countries through education, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. While economic and political cooperation often attract the most attention, educational diplomacy has become one of Ankara’s most consistent instruments of engagement. From scholarships and joint universities to cultural programs and research collaboration, Türkiye has invested heavily in building long-term connections across Central Asia. However, today results reveal that practical cooperation has advanced faster due to its immediate institutional benefit, while identity-oriented initiatives require deeper political and societal alignment.

Türkiye’s educational engagement began shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, when Ankara became one of the first countries to recognize the independence of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and later established broader relations with those nations. The early years were marked by ambitious efforts to promote linguistic and cultural connections along with educational cooperation. Thousands of students from Central Asia received opportunities to study in Türkiye, while Turkish-backed schools and universities emerged throughout the region. Although some of these initiatives faced setbacks over time, education remained one of the central pillars of Turkish diplomacy toward Central Asian countries.

Over the past decade, cooperation between Türkiye and Central Asian countries has become more institutionalized. Organizations such as the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), the Turkish Maarif Foundation, and Türkiye Scholarships have expanded their activities across the region. At the same time, ministries of education have signed dozens of agreements covering diploma recognition, faculty exchanges, research cooperation, and vocational training. Unlike earlier efforts driven largely by cultural affinity, contemporary initiatives are more linked to workforce development, technology, and economic modernization.

Since its transformation in 2021, the Organization of Turkic Countries (OTC) has been playing an effective role to deepen partnership in education among the member countries. The Turkic World Vision 2040 document clearly describes the goal of integrating education and science of the member states. These plans include harmonizing curricula, recognizing diplomas, boosting academic mobility, modernizing teaching with digital technologies, and conducting joint research projects on shared Turkic history and culture.

Within the organization, the common Turkic alphabet is one of the most discussed topics. The idea was first proposed in 1991 after Central Asian countries........

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