ABSTRACT
Before the dissolution of the Soviet Union Turkey's relations with their kinsfolk in the Caucasus and Central Asia never enjoyed any priority. The dissolution of the Soviet Union has drawn attention to the Turkophone republics. Turkey had till then looked upon itself as quite isolated in the international community and now suddenly found itself, through no effort of its own, as the most prominent member of a group of countries stretching from the Mediterranean to the Far East. Turkey could assist by offering its good offices as an intermediary and introducer to new economic realities, by training bankers and economists in market economics and international trade, and by giving thousands of scholarships at the Turkish universities. A new Technical Assistance Authority (TICA) was established for this cooperation. In the sudden meeting with the world outside the Soviet Union the Turkophone states needed somebody they could trust, and in this respect the role of Turkey was important.
