China’s New Silk Road Strategy and the Turkish Middle Corridor Vision

Abstract

Abstract Turkey is one of the main regional powers in the Middle East, a member of OECD and NATO, a quasi-member of the European Union (EU), and an Islamic Turkic-speaking country with a close relationship with Central Asia. The article’s main argument is that China’s strategic partnership framework with Turkey is based on shared or mutual complementary economic and commercial interests, especially the integration of Turkey’s Middle Corridor vision into the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). However, the synergy between the two grand schemes largely depends on the quality of the bilateral relationship and the development of the Sino-Turkish relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership. As one of the leading powers in the Middle East, Ankara also has a vital part to play in China’s BRI which aims to build links between East Asia, Central Asia, West Asia, Africa, and Europe both overland and by sea.