Astana and Ankara are becoming co-authors of a new regional order - Turkish expert
During his visit to Türkiye, Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took part in the latest Antalya Diplomacy Forum, where, at the panel session “Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties,” as well as in meetings with representatives of various countries, he discussed pressing geopolitical and economic issues.
In an exclusive interview with a regional correspondent of Qazinform News Agency, the Rector of Ankara University, Professor Süleyman Kiziltoprak, spoke about the significance of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit to Türkiye going beyond protocol diplomacy and its role in shaping a new Eurasian architecture.
As Professor Kiziltoprak notes, the visit should be seen not merely as a meeting between leaders of friendly states, but as a reflection of a deeper process - the formation of a new balance-of-power architecture in Eurasia.
According to him, Kazakhstan and Türkiye are now moving from intuitive geopolitical behavior to a deliberate, pragmatic strategy. Historically, both countries have served as bridges: Kazakhstan at the heart of the continent, and Türkiye at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. But whereas this role was once largely a consequence of geography, it is now the result of political choice.
“We are witnessing not just diplomatic rapprochement, but a synchronization of strategic thinking,” the professor emphasizes.
As the professor notes, the context of the visit gives it particular significance.
“The Antalya Diplomacy Forum has become not just a discussion platform, but a space where countries seek new formats of interaction beyond traditional alliances. It is here that Kazakhstan and Türkiye demonstrate a desire to act more flexibly - not by aligning, but by balancing and shaping their own agenda,” he said.
According to the speaker, this points to the emergence of a new axis of interaction in Eurasia—not in the classical sense of an alliance, but as a flexible system of partnership in which countries reinforce and complement each other while maintaining independence.
“Such visits rarely produce immediate effects. But it is precisely these moments that lay the groundwork for changes which, years later, begin to shape the course of history. That is why the meeting in Antalya can already be viewed as an event with a delayed but potentially transformative impact - a moment when it is necessary not merely to respond to changes in the world, but to jointly rethink and shape it,” Kiziltoprak concluded.
The professor added that Astana’s active participation is precisely such a case: a carefully calibrated step toward a more independent and interconnected Eurasia, where Kazakhstan and Türkiye act not merely as partners, but as co-authors of a new regional order.
As reported earlier, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev attended the opening ceremony of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2026 held in Türkiye.
