[World Now] Resurrection of the Qulgwang Empire 1500 Years Ago?… China is nervous

Turkish President Erdogan, who dreams of becoming a ’21st Century Sultan’, is at the center of the movement to turn OTS into a political force based on linguistic and ethnic homogeneity.

Turkey tried to join the European Union (EU), a long-cherished dream, but failed to achieve its dream due to EU strict standards that demand democracy, rule of law, and judicial independence from member states.

Erdogan, who laid the foundation for long-term rule by winning the 2018 presidential and general elections, turned to Central Asian countries with ethnic homogeneity when it was difficult to join the EU.

Al Monitor, a media outlet specializing in the Middle East in the US, pointed out that the leaders of OTS member countries have in common not only linguistic and ethnic homogeneity, but also authoritarian leaders far from democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

The media also reported that Erdogan, whose diplomatic base has weakened due to the recent deterioration of relations with Europe and the United States, is emphasizing Turkey’s presence in Eurasia through political and economic cooperation with similar Central Asian countries.

If the OTS member countries are combined, the population alone is 160 million, the land area is 4.5 million square kilometers, and the combined gross domestic product (GDP) is about 1.5 trillion dollars, or about 1780 trillion won.

[사진 제공: 연합뉴스] Uyghurs protest in front of Chinese embassy in Turkey

It is also the reason why China is concerned about the movement of OTS, whether Turkey-led ‘Turkish Solidarity’ will encourage secession and independence movement in the Xinjiang Uyghur region of the same Turkic descent.

The Muslim-majority Uyghurs are not only close religiously to the OTS member states, but also share the same linguistic and ethnic roots.

For this reason, China is wary that the OTS’s attempt to recreate the past through linguistic homogeneity and nationalistic solidarity may fuel the independence movement in the Xinjiang Uyghur region.

China’s state-run Global Times reported on the 16th, “The change of the name of the Turkic Council to OTS symbolizes the rise of pan-Turkism. and security could be compromised,” he said.

In particular, it is noteworthy that the most efficient transportation network linking Asia and Europe will be created if the transportation infrastructure expansion plan between member countries, which OTS has decided to promote, is realized.

The Central Asian countries participating in the OTS are the central countries of the traditional Silk Road and are also the key passageways of the One Belt, One Road (China-Central Asia-Europe) core route.

What is noteworthy is the reaction of the United States and Russia.

Russia, which has traditionally exerted great influence in the Central Asian region, and the United States, which are concentrating on building a siege network with China, can only be concerned about Erdogan’s move as he dreams of becoming a new leader in the region.

Although the United States and Turkey are not on good terms with recent human rights issues, it is difficult to rule out the possibility of direct or indirect support if the OTS led by Turkey incites the secession movement in the Xinjiang Uyghur region and inflicts a political blow to China.

This is also the background for China’s sensitive reaction.