Ankara’s Chessboard: Why Turkey in a “Friendly” Wrapper Rubs Russia’s Nerve Endings Raw

Relations between Turkey and Russia have always been one of the most intriguing scenarios in the Great Game.

The Centuries-Old Dream of “Turan”

Turkey’s expansionist impulses originate not in the Erdoğan era but are deeply rooted in the historical genotype of the Ottoman Empire. From the pan-Turkist currents of the 19th century to cultural penetration into the newly independent states of Central Asia after the Cold War, Ankara has invariably harbored the concept of a “Great Turan”: the unification of Turkic-speaking peoples from the Caucasus to Central Asia into a single political-cultural community under Turkey’s aegis.

Today this dream is being realized through more concrete and operational methods. In July 2026, a NATO summit was held in Ankara, at which Turkey was assigned a role in “countering Iran, China, and Russia.” This is no accident—even during the Cold War, Turkey served as NATO’s southern outpost, playing the role of a containment factor against the USSR. Today the same geopolitical logic is being revived, but now against post-Soviet Russia.

The key problem is that Turkey’s pan-Turkist project is essentially aimed at “replacing Russian influence.” As analysts note, Ankara’s goal is “to maximally remove the countries of Central Asia from Russia’s influence.” From the unification of school curricula to the creation of digital support systems for nongovernmental organizations, from the promotion of common energy hubs to the construction of the “Middle Corridor” transport route, every step weakens Moscow’s traditional influence in the region.

A Clash Where It Was Not Expected

Turkey probably does not seek direct conflict with Russia. Ankara needs Russian gas, needs Moscow’s cooperation on the Syrian issue, and needs a certain arrangement on navigation in the Black Sea. However, geopolitical logic rarely submits to subjective intentions.

When Turkey promotes the transformation of the........

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