Towards the Turkish-Turan Union: A Vision for the Future

I stand firmly in support of President Ilham Aliyev's vision for Azerbaijan's future. His declaration that "European history is a history of blood and colonization...We are not Europe!" resonates deeply with those of us who seek a new path, one that moves away from the Euro-Atlantic system and the Russian-centric Eurasian model. Instead, our future lies in the Turkish-Turan Union.

Aliyev's vision rejects both European and Russian hegemony. He rightly points out that a union built on a history of bloodshed and colonization cannot serve as a model for Azerbaijan or any other nation. The peoples of the world are awakening to this truth. Under the guise of promoting human rights and democracy, the Euro-Atlantic system has inflicted numerous harms on humanity, especially on the Turkic people. Over the past 30 years, extensive scholarly work has documented the devastating impacts of European colonialism, invasions, genocides, slavery, and human trafficking.

The world has entered a new era. While the 19th and 20th centuries were dominated by Europeanization and Westernization, the 21st century marks a period of rejecting European cultural models and liberating from their hegemonic grasp. We are witnessing the rise of local systems and cultures against the backdrop of a multipolar world order.

The European system is losing its legitimacy as a global model. Humanity is reassessing the damages caused by centuries of European colonization and cultural imperialism. Scholars like Edward Said, Oswald Spengler, and Frutje Capra have detailed the racist policies and destructive impacts of European dominance. In recent years, many Western academics have begun to dismantle the myths of Western superiority.

Western culture and systems are no longer seen as the pinnacle of human development. We heed Ilham Aliyev's words about Europe, recognizing the truth in his assertion that "We are not Europe." We are Turks. We are Asian. We are oriental. We are Muslims. We are a military nation with our own civilizational values, political and cultural systems, and understanding of order.

Europe has been a super-system for the last 500 years, but we Turks have been a super-system throughout history. Behind each super-system lies a civilization, a world view, and a philosophy. It is time to rebuild the Turkish culture and super-system. Azerbaijan's state strategy and national idea should focus on constructing the Turan system and civilization.

Russia remains the biggest obstacle to the Turkish Union. Russia, with its own history of blood and colonization, has occupied and colonized Turkic lands for centuries. The Russian state has waged war against the Turks for 600 years, building itself on Turkic geography and culture. Moscow and its surrounding areas are the historical lands of Russia, yet the Russian state expanded by shedding Turkish blood.

The history of Russia is a history of war with the Turks. No other state or nation has inflicted as much harm on the Turkish nation as Russia. Russia played a role in the collapse of the Golden Horde, the Qajar Turkish Empire, and the Ottoman Empire. The establishment of Armenia over Azerbaijan was facilitated by Russia, highlighting its role as an enemy of the Turkish-Turan-Islamic world.

In Azerbaijan, 300 Russian-speaking schools remain open, a symbol of Russia's lingering influence. These schools should be closed, and the official teaching of the Russian language should be prohibited. Azerbaijan must cease to be Russia's periphery.

Our path is neither the Euro-Atlantic system nor the Russian-dominated Eurasian system. The Eurasian system is flawed because it places the Rus-Slavs at the center and the Turks-Muslims as a subset. Turkic-Muslim culture cannot be subservient to Russian-Slavic culture. I protest the Russian-based Eurasian system. However, a Turkish-based Eurasian system could be revisited in the future.

Two Eurasian models have existed in history: Genghis Khan's Turkish-Turan-based Eurasian model and USSR -  Stalin's Russian-Communist-centered model. The former should be revisited and studied as a future strategy.

For the Turkish Union to thrive, Russia, based on blood and colonialism, must leave the Caucasus. The region should become a center for uniting Western Turks (Turkey) and Eastern Turks (Turkestan) culturally and geographically. Russia is the biggest obstacle to the Turkish Union, and its influence in Azerbaijan must be eradicated.

Russia should not have a single soldier, nor a Russian language, nor a Russian-speaking person in Azerbaijan.

I do not support Ilham Aliyev's silence on the activities of 300 Russian-speaking schools in Azerbaijan.