Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev during a Turkish technology and aviation festival in Baku in May. AP Photo
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev during a Turkish technology and aviation festival in Baku in May. AP Photo
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev during a Turkish technology and aviation festival in Baku in May. AP Photo
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev during a Turkish technology and aviation festival in Baku in May. AP Photo


Turkey's expanding role in Central Asia is a boon for Nato


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July 05, 2022

As Nato leaders gathered in Madrid last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin embarked on a crucial diplomatic mission of his own. His first trip abroad since his country’s late February invasion of Ukraine was not to either of the two regional powers, India and China, that have with their increased gas imports provided Moscow an economic lifeline.

Mr Putin instead sought to reassert Russian influence in Central Asia, visiting Tajikistan, where its leader embraced him on the tarmac, then Turkmenistan for a summit of Caspian Sea leaders, including those from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Iran.

“An atmosphere of friendship and co-operation reigns in the Caspian,” Mr Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, asserted. Yet, Russian influence in the Caucasus and Central Asia was widely seen as receding even before the conflict with Ukraine. Now, with significant western sanctions disrupting trade routes, Russian ties across Eurasia – and with regional heavy hitter China – may soon be critical to its economic survival.

This is not news to Turkey, which has been expanding its regional footprint for years. Back in 2009, Ankara created the Organisation of Turkic States (formerly the Turkic Council). Today, the bloc’s five members (Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Uzbekistan) and two observer states (Turkmenistan and Hungary) are home to some 170 million people and an aggregate GDP of $1.5 trillion.

In March, former Turkish deputy prime minister Binali Yildirim, chair of the bloc’s Council of Elders, said it hoped to establish an EU-like alliance, with full freedom in the movement of goods and people. This echoes the vision of the 10-member Economic Co-operation Organisation, which is significantly older and also counts Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan as members, as well as Tajikistan.

The Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones are in great demand. AFP
The Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones are in great demand. AFP
If Nato seeks to counter this rising Russian-Chinese axis in Eurasia, it could hardly find a better partner than Ankara

But the stressing of pan-Turkic identity and Turkey’s status as the most populous member gives Ankara a degree of control over the Turkic organisation, which is why most observers view the bloc as a tool to expand Turkish influence, focused on energy and trade.

Turkey has few domestic energy reserves and thus must rely on imports, with Russia providing nearly half its natural gas. Ankara’s main goal in backing Azerbaijan in the late 2020 war for Nagorno-Karabakh was arguably its hope of gaining greater access to Azerbaijani gas and the Trans-Caspian, potentially becoming an energy transit state.

The Turkic organisation is all about developing bigger, better ports and more direct trade corridors. One recent example is the first Kazakhstan-Iran-Turkey train, which arrived in Tehran with its cargo of sulphur in late June. More specifically, Ankara aims to develop the Middle Corridor to China, poised between the southern and northern routes through Iran and Russia.

A crucial element of that vision is reviving the Zangezur corridor, which, as this column has previously detailed, is a train link across Armenian territory that would connect mainland Azerbaijan to its exclave of Nakhchivan, bordering Turkey. This would give Ankara a gateway to the Caspian basin and one of the faster routes to Central Asia and China, offering huge economic and energy potential and the opportunity for significant Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) investment.

Six weeks ago, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited Ankara and signed 15 bilateral deals as part of an enhanced strategic partnership. Mr Tokayev pointed out that, since Kazakhstan began using Turkish shipping corridors, the cargo transport time from Khorgos to Istanbul has gone from 60 days to just 13. Surely Beijing took note.

Kazakhstan also agreed to begin domestic production of Turkey’s unmanned Anka drones. This seemed fitting, as the Turkic organisation sometimes seems like a showcase for Turkey’s domestic defence. Turkey’s military backing, mainly via advisers and Bayraktar TB2 drones, played a crucial role in Azerbaijan’s victory in Nagorno-Karabakh. Late last year, Kyrgyzstan confirmed it had purchased Turkish drones.

Turkmenistan has also purchased at least one TB2, which it showcased last September. Home to the world’s fourth-largest natural gas reserves, Turkmenistan is the alliance’s most recent addition, becoming an observer in November 2021. It may soon request member status, despite its predilection for avoiding regional alliances. Its main energy customer has been China, but those proceeds mainly go to debt repayment.

Turkmenistan may now view Turkey as the best alternative buyer and the most direct trade route – across the Caspian to Baku, through Zangezur to Turkey and on to Europe. In February, Ankara agreed with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan to transit gas from their joint Dostluk field to Europe.

Building its trade superhighway to the West, China probably hopes to keep Russia and Turkey from gaining a stronger foothold. One key node of that effort is Uzbekistan, where China emerged as the country’s leading export market last year ($1.74 billion compared to Russia’s $1.7bn). China is also Uzbekistan’s largest source of foreign investment, more than doubling that of Russia.

Mr Erdogan visited Tashkent in March to seal the Turkey-Uzbek partnership just weeks after Beijing and Tashkent signed their own deals. Turkey’s commitments included a $150 million thermal power plant and a $140m gas piston power plant, making Ankara the third-largest export market to Uzbekistan.

“It’s a race between Turkey and China in Central Asia,” Kamran Bokhari, former head of Central Asian studies at the US’s Foreign Services Institute, recently told me, “as to who gets more influence as Russia recedes.”

While Mr Putin was making nice in Central Asia, Sweden and Finland agreed to address Turkey’s concerns about terrorism – though they still need to follow through – as Russia’s Ukraine invasion spurred prompt Nato expansion. Receiving much less media coverage was Nato’s decision to shift its strategic focus eastward.

The bloc’s new strategic concept, released in Madrid, asserted that China’s “stated ambitions and coercive policies challenge our interests, security and values” and warned of “the deepening strategic partnership between the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to the media after the summit of Caspian Sea littoral states in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Thursday. AP Photo
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to the media after the summit of Caspian Sea littoral states in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Thursday. AP Photo

Nato member state officials have for years expressed concerns about China spreading its economic influence through the BRI, with large investments in Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, and into the Balkans. Now, one of the most pressing results of the war in Ukraine is Moscow aligning more closely with Beijing.

Ankara may be pursuing its own interests in Central Asia and the Caucasus, but as I detailed last year, those interests are largely aligned with its Nato allies. Both aim to ensure stability and access to energy resources while curbing the influence of Beijing and Moscow.

Paul Goble, a longtime specialist on Eurasia and once adviser to former US secretary of state James Baker, said in a recent interview that Turkey is likely to continue to emerge in the region as Russia declines. “Russia is terrified of the rise of [Turkey],” he said. “Russia is concerned that it represents a threat to the southern part of the Russian Federation, which it does.”

The US already supports the development of Turkey’s Middle Corridor as a way to help Europe move away from Russian energy, and may provide significant funding and diplomatic support for Ankara’s completion of the Trans-Caspian route. If Nato seeks to counter this rising Russian-Chinese axis in Eurasia, it could hardly find a better partner than Ankara.

As in Afghanistan with the Taliban, in Russia-Ukraine peace talks and grain release efforts, and with the Syrian refugee crisis, Turkey, despite regularly taking anti-western positions, once again finds itself perfectly poised to help out its western allies.

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
%3Cp%3EBy%202030%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi%20aims%20to%20achieve%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%2039.3%20million%20visitors%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20nearly%2064%25%20up%20from%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%20Dh90%20billion%20contribution%20to%20GDP%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20about%2084%25%20more%20than%20Dh49%20billion%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%20178%2C000%20new%20jobs%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20bringing%20the%20total%20to%20about%20366%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%2052%2C000%20hotel%20rooms%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20up%2053%25%20from%2034%2C000%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%207.2%20million%20international%20visitors%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20almost%2090%25%20higher%20compared%20to%202023's%203.8%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%203.9%20international%20overnight%20hotel%20stays%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2022%25%20more%20from%203.2%20nights%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

The biog

Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia

Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins

Favourite dish: Grilled fish

Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.

Central%20Bank's%20push%20for%20a%20robust%20financial%20infrastructure
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3ECBDC%20real-value%20pilot%20held%20with%20three%20partner%20institutions%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPreparing%20buy%20now%2C%20pay%20later%20regulations%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPreparing%20for%20the%202023%20launch%20of%20the%20domestic%20card%20initiative%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPhase%20one%20of%20the%20Financial%20Infrastructure%20Transformation%20(FiT)%20completed%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
%E2%80%98FSO%20Safer%E2%80%99%20-%20a%20ticking%20bomb
%3Cp%3EThe%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%20has%20been%20moored%20off%20the%20Yemeni%20coast%20of%20Ras%20Issa%20since%201988.%3Cbr%3EThe%20Houthis%20have%20been%20blockading%20UN%20efforts%20to%20inspect%20and%20maintain%20the%20vessel%20since%202015%2C%20when%20the%20war%20between%20the%20group%20and%20the%20Yemen%20government%2C%20backed%20by%20the%20Saudi-led%20coalition%20began.%3Cbr%3ESince%20then%2C%20a%20handful%20of%20people%20acting%20as%20a%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.ae%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3D%26esrc%3Ds%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D%26ved%3D2ahUKEwiw2OfUuKr4AhVBuKQKHTTzB7cQFnoECB4QAQ%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.thenationalnews.com%252Fworld%252Fmena%252Fyemen-s-floating-bomb-tanker-millions-kept-safe-by-skeleton-crew-1.1104713%26usg%3DAOvVaw0t9FPiRsx7zK7aEYgc65Ad%22%20target%3D%22_self%22%3Eskeleton%20crew%3C%2Fa%3E%2C%20have%20performed%20rudimentary%20maintenance%20work%20to%20keep%20the%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%20intact.%3Cbr%3EThe%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%20is%20connected%20to%20a%20pipeline%20from%20the%20oil-rich%20city%20of%20Marib%2C%20and%20was%20once%20a%20hub%20for%20the%20storage%20and%20export%20of%20crude%20oil.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%E2%80%99s%20environmental%20and%20humanitarian%20impact%20may%20extend%20well%20beyond%20Yemen%2C%20experts%20believe%2C%20into%20the%20surrounding%20waters%20of%20Saudi%20Arabia%2C%20Djibouti%20and%20Eritrea%2C%20impacting%20marine-life%20and%20vital%20infrastructure%20like%20desalination%20plans%20and%20fishing%20ports.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.

Know your Camel lingo

The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home

Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless

Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers

Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s

Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival

W.
Wael Kfoury
(Rotana)

Expert advice

“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”

Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles

“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”

Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre 

“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”

Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
 

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

Who was Alfred Nobel?

The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.

  • In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
  • Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
  • Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

Museum of the Future in numbers
  •  78 metres is the height of the museum
  •  30,000 square metres is its total area
  •  17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
  •  14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
  •  1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior 
  •  7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
  •  2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
  •  100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
  •  Dh145 is the price of a ticket
Company%20profile
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Updated: July 05, 2022, 11:26 AM