Introduction

This chapter argues that Turkey’s pivot to Eurasia is taking place amidst a transforming global order, dynamic regional context and turbulent domestic political scene. The idea of Eurasianism, which was originally developed in Russia in the 1920s, remains at the heart of Turkey’s shift of axis debate, while it continues to attract significant attention especially in the Turkish conservative and nationalist political circles. At the systemic level of analysis, the most important reason that triggered Turkey’s pivot to Eurasia in the 2000s has been the decline of US hegemony and the emerging multipolar structure of the international system with the rise of new centres of power – especially in Asia. Due to its strategic geographical location at the centre of the Eurasian landmass, Turkey has been largely affected by the ongoing power transition in the international system. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.