Erdogan Prepares to Play Against Russia and China with Western Support, Which Could Have Sad Consequences for Turkey, Says Russian Expert

In 2021, Turkey found itself at the center of three major scandals related to the display of maps where Turkish politicians envision a "Greater Turan." Elena Panina, director of the RUSSTRAT Institute, notes in her article that it is clear that this expansion of territories of the "Future Turkey" must occur at the expense of neighboring countries.

The first map was presented by Turkish parliamentarian Metin Külünk, impacting Greece, Bulgaria, Armenia, Georgia, Iraq, Syria, and Cyprus. Less than half a year later, a new provocative version of the map was showcased on the Turkish state TRT-1 channel, developed by the American intelligence-analytical company Stratfor.

The third and most scandalous version was published on November 13, 2021, by the Turkish Nationalist Movement Party. The now-planned "Greater Turan" extends not only to the North Caucasus, Tatarstan, and Bashkortostan (as in previous versions) but also includes Altai, Buryatia, Tuva, Khakassia, and Yakutia. Additionally, parts of Russia's Astrakhan, Irkutsk, Kurgan, Novosibirsk, Penza, Omsk, Orenburg, Samara, Ulyanovsk, and Chelyabinsk regions have also been classified under the "Turkic world." Furthermore, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang) and northwestern Iran, where ethnic Azerbaijanis reside, have also been included in the "Turkic world."

Elena Panina expresses confidence that through the random publication of the "maps of the Turkic world," Erdogan is signaling his ambitions for geopolitical status in the grand game. Moreover, he intends to play against Russia and China with Western support, which could lead to sad consequences for Turkey, concluded Panina.