International Relations Expert Akmaral Batalova
"The objectives of the Organization of Turkic States, Russia and China are not at odds"
Akmaral Batalova is an expert on international relations, reporter and film producer. She is also the founder and Executive Director of the Al Farabi World Heritage Public Foundation. She was born in Almaty, Kazakhstan, graduated from the Mass Media Faculty of Kazakh State University, the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Diplomatic School of Madrid and has a Master’s degree in International Relations from the Complutense University (Spain). Akmaral Batalova observes the situation in the Middle East, focusing on the humanitarian crisis in Syria, writes articles and makes documentaries and does humanitarian work in Syria
How to cite: Batalova, A. (2023). The objectives of the Organization of Turkic States, Russia, and China are not at odds. (Ali Erdem Köz, Interviewer). BRIQ Belt & Road Initiative Quarterly, 4(3), 62-67.
“US needs NATO as a military instrument to maintain and strengthen its global influence through military expansion. On the contrary, Asian countries are primarily interested in the stable development of their economies and are ready to cooperate economically with all countries. For this reason, I think that, in these conditions, where all the rules of the world order are violated, Asia is trying to create a safe future where the economies of the countries in the region can be balanced and the conditions for a peaceful environment can be provided, creating a center of gravity.”
International Relations Expert Akmaral Batalova from Kazakhstan answered Ali Erdem Köz’s questions.
The Astana Process has achieved decisive success in of the Syrian crisis has become a vivid example of
resolving the Syrian crisis. What do you think is the success because, for the first time, it was possible
secret to the success of this model? How would you to start direct negotiations “on the ground”
evaluate the possibility of developing this model to between the direct parties to the conflict, the
solve other regional problems in the future? Syrian government and the armed opposition. At
the same time, the guarantor countries had the
Akmaral Batalova: Kazakhstan is a peaceful, opportunity to get in touch with and influence the
multi-religious, multi-ethnic country with a large warring parties in real terms.
Muslim population. We have established friendly I want to emphasize that the most important
relations with our neighbors in the region, even result of the Astana Process is the cessation of
in the current conditions where many negotiation active conflict and the prevention of the deaths
platforms established in the past have lost their of many people. The agreement on creating four
neutrality. Astana Garden is excellent for everyone different ceasefire zones, signed in May 2017,
as an impartial negotiation platform for conflict helped reduce the intensity of the hostile attitude
resolution. Time has shown that other formats of the warring parties and spawned the process of
that emerged during the protracted Syrian crisis national reconciliation.
were ineffective and unsustainable. Phrases such Another feature of the Astana Process is that,
as “The Astana Process,” “The Astana Guarantors,” for the first time in the history of international
and “The Astana Trio” have become accepted relations, negotiations for peace in the Middle
terms in international literature when discussing East are traditionally held in the center of the
issues in the Middle East. Eurasian continent, not in European or Arab
The Astana Process for the peaceful resolution capitals.
The Astana format is also a unique example of how the driving force of the second Cold War. In a speech
efficiently major regional actors can interact with each at a security conference in Germany in 2007, the
other: Sunni Türkiye and Shiite Iran, NATO member Russian President said that the imposition of the
Ankara, and NATO rivals Moscow and Tehran. unipolar model of the world, that is, the legal system
Negotiations with the participation of parties of one state, namely the United States, on all other
involved in the conflicts in Syria from inside and states is “not only unacceptable but also impossible”
outside played an active role in protecting Syria’s and that the only decision-making mechanism
territorial integrity. During the negotiation process, regarding the use of military force can only be the UN
all guarantor countries strive not only to achieve the Treaty. He then noted that the US failure to comply
goals in line with their national interests but also to with the “Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in
consider the interests of all players affected by the Europe” violated the security guarantees given by the
Syrian issue. I would like to particularly note the West during the collapse of the USSR.
atmosphere of respect that the Astana format has, As you know, at the beginning of the conflict in
including the hospitality of the Kazakh side. And, of Ukraine, there was a situation of NATO expansion
course, it makes it possible to say that this approach to in three different waves towards the east, towards
resolving any crisis without imposing dominance or the borders of the Russian Federation. In 2021, Putin
imposing the opinion of one side, taking into account urged Western leaders three times to come together
the national interests of all participants equally, has to discuss the rules of the game in the context of the
an important place in the negotiation experience of geopolitical and geo-economic transformation of
international meetings. The Astana platform should the world and proposed to create a single, indivisible
be considered, developed, and used for further peace security architecture for all European countries.
processes and for building a security architecture Unfortunately, the West did not accept these initiatives
across the region. of the Russian President. The US and EU also ignored
the “red lines” that Moscow drew during the meeting
The Unipolar World System is Over of the two presidents, Putin and Biden, in July 2021
and the Russia-NATO and Russia-US negotiations in
The Ukraine crisis is in its 14th month. How November and December of the same year.
would you evaluate the reasons and background Western countries perceived Putin’s speech in
of this crisis, which brought Russia against the Munich in 2007 not as a call to change the current
US and NATO, regarding the balance of powers geopolitical situation by taking into account the
worldwide, the goals and objectives of the US, and national interests of other states but as a challenge to
the positions of Russia and China? the world order based on their own ideas. It is now
clear that the unipolar world system is coming to
Akmaral Batalova: I’m sure we are all aware that an end not only because of Russia’s intervention in
the conflict between Russia and the US/NATO started Ukraine, but also because of the desire of other large
much earlier, not with the Ukraine crisis. President states such as China, India, Türkiye, Brazil, South
Putin’s Munich speech, or rather, the reaction of Africa, as well as the Islamic world and most of the
Western countries to this speech, can be considered countries in the Pacific region to strengthen their state
From the SCO meeting of foreign ministers held in India on May 5, 2023. (Xinhua, 2023Xinhua (2023). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.)
sovereignty and ensure that their national interests mutually conflicting interests of geopolitical,
are taken into account in interaction with other regional, and local actors and the historical past led
participants in international relations. to the war that has now tragically hit the two Slavic
The world witnessed that military actions in peoples, left the entire region on its toes, and brought
Ukraine, actively promoted by the United States, the world to the brink of nuclear catastrophe.
turned into a war between Russia and the European
members of NATO. If we go back to history and Asia Strives to Become a Centre of Gravity
remember that the main causes of the First and for Peace and Development
Second World Wars were Washington’s attempts
to prevent a strong political and economic union The Shanghai Cooperation Organization appears to
between Russia and Germany, it is better understood have expanded to include countries in separate camps
why the war is now raging in the center of Europe during and after the Cold War. In addition, global
and why the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was blown initiatives within the scope of economic cooperation,
up. such as the BRICS, Belt and Road Initiative, are
From the Kremlin’s point of view, the US desire to increasingly becoming centers of attraction. How
deprive Russia of its Black Sea Fleet base in Sevastopol, would you evaluate the US’s attempts to enlarge
Washington’s attempts to limit Russian access to the NATO and the partnership and cooperation
Black Sea, and the possibility of deploying military initiatives with the center of gravity based on their
bases in Ukraine should be mentioned. For Russia, opposition or parallelism with each other?
Ukrainian territory, very close to its borders, was
seen as a vital strategic security threat. Unfortunately, Akmaral Batalova: The difference between the
these concerns were not taken into account. policies of the United States and China lies in their
Thus, the intertwining of a vicious circle of approaches, as you have correctly pointed out.
China uses the SCO to expand its geographic serious threat to its vital national interests both
influence through economic cooperation. In within the United States and abroad. Although it
addition to economic cooperation, BRICS is presents it as co-operation with a growing network
needed as a tool for the creation of a dollar- of US allies and partners to achieve common goals,
independent financial system and the transition it is clear that the US needs NATO as a military
to payments in national currencies by the member instrument to maintain and strengthen its global
states. influence through military expansion.
It would be naive, to say the least, to evaluate the events in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and other countries without the influence
It would be naive to evaluate of the US. On the contrary, Asian countries are
the events in Yugoslavia, primarily interested in the stable development
Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, of their economies and are ready to cooperate
and other countries without the economically with all countries. For this reason, I
influence of the US. think that, in these conditions, where all the rules
of the world order are violated, Asia is trying to create a safe future where the economies of the
If we pay attention to the US strategic countries in the region can be balanced and the
documents, for example, the National Security conditions for a peaceful environment can be
Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and provided, creating a center of gravity.
other publicly available documents, the US refers
to China and Russia as their common strategic OTS is the bridge between
enemies. In the doctrinal documents adopted in west and east, north and south
November 2022, the entire world is referred to as
the US national interest zone. According to the Kazakhstan and some other Central Asian
definition of White House strategists, the world is Turkic Republics are members of the
divided based on the threats posed by China and Organization of Turkic States on the one
Russia. hand and the SCO and the Collective Security
In their understanding, Russia directly Organization on the other. Some sections
threatens a free and open international system by argue that the Organization of Turkic States
“recklessly trampling on the fundamental laws of is against Russia and China. Considering
the international order.” In contrast, the PRC is this argument, how would you evaluate the
the only competitor with both the intent to change place of the Asian-centered developing world
the international order and, increasingly, the countries initiative of the Organization of
economic, diplomatic, military, and technological Turkish States?
strength to achieve that goal. In other words, China
poses the most serious and systemic challenge Akmaral Batalova: Kazakhstan is an
to the United States. In contrast, Russia poses a ancestral country of the Turkic world.
Therefore, it is engaged in further developing cooperation areas such as trade and
and strengthening comprehensive interaction transportation. In addition, the lands of the
between the peoples of other brotherly organization’s member states are a bridge
countries. In addition to the Organization between the West and the East, the North and
of Turkic States (OTS) , the International the South. An example is the Trans-Caspian
Organization of Turkic Culture (TÜRKSOY), International Transport Corridor, which
the Turkish Parliamentary Assembly, and the passes over three countries of the Turkic
Turkic Academy were established with the world (Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan)
initiative of Kazakhstan for the cultural and and connects China with European countries.
spiritual rapprochement of the Turkic peoples. Organization of Turkish States member states
The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym- are interested in increasing cargo traffic,
Jomart Tokayev, proposed, based on the coordinating logistics, and finding alternative
creation of a “Digital Library”, to mutually routes to existing rail and road routes. For
open the archives of Turkish countries and example, Kazakhstan allocated $35 billion
to prepare a “road map” for the study of the to develop the transportation and logistics
common written heritage of our peoples industries in the last 15 years and plans to
and to draw a road map on it in the future. invest another $20 billion by 2025.
We all need to examine, protect, and pass on As for your question about the opposition
the invaluable legacy of the ancient Turkish to Russia and China, I think the Organization
civilization to future generations. of Turkic States is an interstate organization
It is clear that modern geopolitical and created to expand the interaction of Turkish-
geo-economic contradictions negatively speaking countries in politics, economy,
impact the economy, transport, and logistics science, education, transportation, and
of the Eurasian continent. It is, therefore, tourism.
particularly important to help strengthen In my opinion, the statutes and program
the belt of stability that unites our states documents, including the “Strategy of the
today. The population of the Turkish states Organization of Turkish States” adopted
is approximately 150 million, and the total for implementing the Expectations for the
area of these countries exceeds 4.5 million Turkic World 2040 program at this stage,
km2. Their GDP is approximately 1.5 trillion do not conflict with China in any way. None
dollars, ranking 13th in the world economy. of the activities of the Turkish world are
At the same time, mutual trade between our contrary to the aims and objectives of the
countries constitutes only 4% of the total Shanghai Cooperation Organization and
foreign trade volume. The rest is covered by the Collective Security Treaty Organization,
third countries. nor the principles of friendship, partnership,
Therefore, at the Organization of Turkish and mutually beneficial cooperation between
States summit in Samarkand in September Russia and China. We hope this continues in
last year, it was decided to develop strategic the future.