The Turkish Ministry of National Education has announced a shift in its history curriculum, replacing the term "Central Asia" with "Turkestan" in an effort to strengthen national identity and patriotism among future generations. The move is seen as part of a broader initiative to foster closer ties across the Turkic world.
Experts view this change as a step toward reclaiming historical terms that reflect the Turkic heritage.
Professor Ahmet Tasagil explained, "The word Turkestan, meaning the homeland of the Turks, has been used since ancient times. However, following the Russian invasion in the second half of the 19th century, the term was replaced by 'Central Asia' and became widely used."
The decision to revert to the term "Turkestan" signals a deliberate effort to highlight historical roots.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has embraced this change as part of a larger vision for the future.
"We will work shoulder to shoulder to turn the next era into the era of the Turks and bring forward the ideas of the 'Turkish age' to the Organization of Turkic States," Erdoğan said in a statement.
Associate Professor Ramin Sadiq, commenting on the new curriculum, praised the Ministry of Education's decision to include the concept of Turkestan in textbooks, calling it a "very correct decision." He highlighted that this change plays a vital role in efforts to create a unified history, geography, literature, map, and alphabet for the Turkic peoples.
Experts note that this curricular shift aligns with broader strategies to reinforce cultural and historical ties across the Turkic-speaking countries.
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