Browsing by Author "Karasar, Hasan Ali"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

Open Access
Abazin
(ABC-CLIO, 2011) Karasar, Hasan Ali; Cole, J. E.
Open Access
The Chuvash
(ABC-CLIO, 2011) Karasar, Hasan Ali; Cole, J. E.
Open Access
National identity and regional integration in Central Asia : Turkestan reunion
(2002) Karasar, Hasan Ali
The existing conceptual and terminological anarchy in the literature about the Central (Inner or Middle) Asian region was a starting point of this dissertation. Thus, the basic objective for this study was to review the literature as to which terms were used by whom, when and with what kinds of motives? With the final objective of trying to bring some clarifications to the field. This is a historical study with an eventual international relations repurcassions in mind. Historically, the term Turkestan has been used by many. It differs from most of its contemporary alternatives. It is not only a geographic and political term but also a politico-ethnic one, in Persian, Turkestan means “the country of Turks.” The term has also been used in the literature to cover four different names and areas: Western or Russian (then Soviet) Turkestan, Eastern or Chinese Turkestan, Southern or Afghan Turkestan as well as the Greater (Uluğ) Turkestan to encompass all. Extensive review of encyclopedical and primary sources and the researcher’s numerous interviews and long-time field observations on the subject reveal significant findings. First of all, the region was called with different names by different peoples throuought its history. However, from the 7th Century AD on, the name Turkestan has been the longest survived one. Furthermore, toward the end of the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th centuries, the rise of Turkestanism among the political elite of Turkestanis was witnessed. It is most likely that the liberal athmosphere of February 1917 Revolution resulted in the declaration of Turkestanist national statehoods in the region, namely Turkestan Autonomy, Bukharan and Khorezmian People’s Soviet Republics and Alaş Orda Government. The 1924 national-territorial demarcation (razmezhevanie) was not totally a product of central planning in Moscow but have had an important native initiative too. During the period between 1924 and 1991, Turkestani intelligentsia at home and abroad continued their Turkestanist stance at different levels while reaching its height when Nazi Germany decided to establish Turkestan Legions to “liberate” Turkestan from the Bolshevik tyranny. Even after 1991, when all five Union Repulics gained their independences, a search for regional integration and strengthening already existing common Central Asian-Turkestani solidarities continued with an increasing degree on the both ruling elite and opposition camps in the regional states. Although, historically, while there exists: no “Turkestani nation” in western meanings of the term, no single “Turkestanish language” in modern terms, no contemporary political entity called Turkestan, and no consensus over its geography; the concept of Turkestan has survived through the centuries and its heritage has been claimed by the modern political cadres of the region. It is hoped that, the study may provide new visions for those bewildered by the complexities of the daily politics of the region. This study explains that history and common Turkestani identity are key to understand inreasing integration efforts of Central Asian leaderships in the post-Soviet period. However, in this process the Soviet legacy and the very definitions of the ethnic identities during the Soviet period are still quite in affect despite the efforts to re-write Turkestani history by the regional administrations in the 1990s. It is also underlined that just like all three Turkestani movements at beginning of the 20th century, Basmacıs, Jadids of Turkestan Autonomy and Alaş Orda and National Communists were all Turkestanists in different levels, in the post-Soviet period, leaderships and oppositions of the independent Central Asian states use Turkestan idea and Turkestanism in different levels as well. Thus, ultimate purpose of this work is to outline the dynamics of the Turkestani regional identity and its reflections on the daily politics of Central Asian states.