Prime Minister followed up his hosting of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan with a visit to Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. While he oversaw many MoUs between Pakistan and Turkiye, he also agreed with President Erdogan to boost bilateral trade to $2 billion. In Azerbaijan, he agreed to $2 billion investment in Pakistan, while in Uzbekistan, he agreed to increase bilateral trade in four years to $2 billion, which would be a quintupling from the present $400 million. Uzbekistan is important as the most populous Central Asian republic, while Azerbaijan has its own importance as an oil-rich state with capital it wants to invest. At the same time, it is possible to discern the common thread of Pakistan’s being drawn into the neo-Otomanism President Erdogan is supposed to propagate.
It should be noted that Pakistan was never part of the Ottoman state, but then neither were Uzbekistan or Azerbaijan, or any other of the ex-Soviet Central Asian Republics. However, especially under Erdogan, but even earlier, Trurkiye has taken an abiding interest in the Central Asian republics (even when they were part of the USSR) as the cradle of the Turkish people. Pakistan may never have formed part of this ‘Turcosphere’, but now it can claim it is joining. There is a certain logic to this, for the cultural and religious ties between Pakistan and Turkiye are mirrored in Central Asia. The historical ties between the two are specific to Turkiye and Pakistan, but the means of building links, by increasing bilateral trade, will have long-lasting positive effects. The rhetoric of historical and religious ties will be enhanced by the links created by mutual profit. Another aspect is the overall benefit to the Economic Cooperation Organisation, which can be seen as that ’Turcosphere’ plus Iran and Pakistan. ECO is the old RCD plus Afghanistan and the Central Asian republics.
Turkiye should be part of the European Union and Pakistan of SAARC. However, while Europe is dragging its feet over admitting a Muslim country, India is stubbornly trying to sabotage the trade potential of another. Whereas Turkiye should allow Pakistani goods a route to Europe, Pakistan should provide Turkiye s path to India. However, if instead of trying to solve the political issues, increased bilateral trade would lead to greater connectivity with Europe and India. Increased trade with Central Asia would also mean that its transit trade through Gwadar would get a boost, which must count as one of the benefits of enhancing trade.
