Flag of the Organization of Turkic StatesFlag misattributed to the Turkic Khaganate
Pan‑Turkism (Turkish: Pantürkizm) is a political and cultural idea that supports the unity of all Turkic peoples. These peoples live in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Volga region, Iran, China, and Afghanistan. The idea became important in the late 1800s and early 1900s among Turkic writers in the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire.
Pan‑Turkism says that Turkic peoples share a common language family, culture, and history, and that they should work together. Some versions support cultural unity, while others support political unity. Pan‑Turkism is related to Turanism, but Turanism includes more groups than only Turkic peoples.
History
Pan‑Turkism began among Turkic intellectuals in the Crimea, the Volga region, and the South Caucasus. One of the first leaders was İsmail Gasprinski (Ismail Gaspirali), a Crimean Tatar writer. In 1883, he started the newspaper Tercüman, which called for “unity in language, thought, and action” among Turkic peoples.
In the early 1900s, Pan‑Turkism spread to the Ottoman Empire. Some Ottoman writers and politicians believed the empire could become stronger by forming closer ties with Turkic peoples living in Russia, Iran, and Central Asia. During World War I, Pan‑Turkism influenced some Ottoman military plans, especially in the Caucasus Front.
After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Pan‑Turkism continued mostly as a cultural idea. In the 20th century, it influenced Turkish nationalism, Azerbaijani nationalism, and cultural movements in Central Asia. Today, Pan‑Turkism appears mainly in cultural cooperation, such as the Organization of Turkic States.
Ideas and criticism
Pan‑Turkism is based on the belief that Turkic peoples share a language family and a long history. Supporters say that these peoples should help each other and protect their shared culture. Some versions support political unity, but many focus only on cultural unity.
Governments
Governments in the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union opposed Pan‑Turkism because they believed it could cause separatism or weaken state control. Some scholars also say that Pan‑Turkism can oversimplify the differences between Turkic peoples.
