03-10-2022, 04:01 PM
I would assume that most here on the Amarna Forum know what "Eurasianism" is. But, for the sake of completeness, Eurasianism is the term usually used in reference to Dugin's Fourth Political Theory. In that book, Dugin promotes a Russo-centric realism and a Russo-centric powerbase in Central Asia and Eastern Europe as an antidote to Western idealism. Dugin more or less echoes the Slavophiles of the 19th century, who disagreed with Peter the Great's policy of pushing Russian politics and society closer to Western Europe. Dugin, like the Slavophiles, sees Russia as a separate culture that combines Byzantinism (in the form of the Orthodox church) with Asiastic culture and political dynamics inherited from the "Tartar yoke" of the Golden Horde. All of these ideas were, in my opinion, better stated in Konstantin Leontiev's Byzantism and Slavdom. Suffice it to say, Russo-centric Eurasianism envisions Russia as a third player between Atlanticism and a rising China. Guillaume Faye sort of created a Western-centric Eurasianism by promoting a Pan-European state from Brest to Vladivostok, but that idea is a gigantic pipedream at the moment.
There is another Eurasianism that is just as powerful, but far less studied by the West. The Republic of Turkey may not directly promote Pan-Turkism (similar to Neo-Ottomanism but less focused on religion), but President Erdogan's political coalition does include Pan-Turanist political parties, most notably the paramilitary Grey Wolves. Pan-Turkism is the ideology of a pan-Turkish identity based around not only the Turkic languages, but also Sunni Islam. Pan-Turkism is in conflict with Russian Eurasianism, as Pan-Turkists would see Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and many other former Soviet states as Turkic partners. The lack of support from Kazakhstan for the current Russian war effort could be a sign of Nur-Sultan seeking a break from being a Russian satrap. Given the long history of conflict between Russia and Turkey, as well as the current use of Bayraktar drones by the Ukrainian military on top of the proxy conflict still ongoing in Syria, I predict even more conflicts between these two competing visions of Eurasianism (throw in too Turkey's suppport for the Uyghurs in China as another sticky point).
Here's the problem with this in re: the West. A rapprochement with Russia is out of the question and may never happen again following the complete economic freezeout of 2022. However, Turkey under Erdogan is not a better alternative. Not only is Ankara's economy in shambles, but the purging of the army of CHP leaders has rendered the Turkish Armed Forces more ideologically aligned but less proficient. Also too we should not forget Erdogan as the man most responsible for flooding Europe with Syrian and Afghan "refugees," plus his government turned Hagia Sophia back into a mosque.
If a more multipolar world develops, then I expect to see more Russia-Turkey proxy wars or conflicts in Central Asia and the Middle East, and frankly the West would be wise to stay clear. Sadly, given our elites, I fear that the West would go all-in with supporting Turkey, which would ultimately mean more money in the hands of Islamists and refugees.
Thoughts?
There is another Eurasianism that is just as powerful, but far less studied by the West. The Republic of Turkey may not directly promote Pan-Turkism (similar to Neo-Ottomanism but less focused on religion), but President Erdogan's political coalition does include Pan-Turanist political parties, most notably the paramilitary Grey Wolves. Pan-Turkism is the ideology of a pan-Turkish identity based around not only the Turkic languages, but also Sunni Islam. Pan-Turkism is in conflict with Russian Eurasianism, as Pan-Turkists would see Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and many other former Soviet states as Turkic partners. The lack of support from Kazakhstan for the current Russian war effort could be a sign of Nur-Sultan seeking a break from being a Russian satrap. Given the long history of conflict between Russia and Turkey, as well as the current use of Bayraktar drones by the Ukrainian military on top of the proxy conflict still ongoing in Syria, I predict even more conflicts between these two competing visions of Eurasianism (throw in too Turkey's suppport for the Uyghurs in China as another sticky point).
Here's the problem with this in re: the West. A rapprochement with Russia is out of the question and may never happen again following the complete economic freezeout of 2022. However, Turkey under Erdogan is not a better alternative. Not only is Ankara's economy in shambles, but the purging of the army of CHP leaders has rendered the Turkish Armed Forces more ideologically aligned but less proficient. Also too we should not forget Erdogan as the man most responsible for flooding Europe with Syrian and Afghan "refugees," plus his government turned Hagia Sophia back into a mosque.
If a more multipolar world develops, then I expect to see more Russia-Turkey proxy wars or conflicts in Central Asia and the Middle East, and frankly the West would be wise to stay clear. Sadly, given our elites, I fear that the West would go all-in with supporting Turkey, which would ultimately mean more money in the hands of Islamists and refugees.
Thoughts?