Ankara to Rename Central Asia as Turkestan

The term “Turkestan” will be used instead of “Central Asia” in Turkish history curricula, as reported by TRT, citing the Turkish Ministry of National Education.

The ministry believes that the initiative will help strengthen students’ patriotism and national consciousness.

Experts view the curriculum changes as a way to highlight Turkey’s cultural and historical connections with other Turkic nations, such as Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

They also mention that adding the new term to the school program can be viewed as part of a policy to align Ankara more closely with the countries in the region. In early September, the Turkic states approved the proposal for a shared alphabet. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan put forward the concept of a standard alphabet in 2023.

The term “Turkestan” was commonly used in the 19th and early 20th centuries to refer to a region primarily inhabited by Turkic-speaking peoples in Central Asia.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Uzbekistan is strengthening military cooperation with Turkey.