Soft Power: Turkiye's Image through Educational Strategies in Kazakhstan

Abstract

Turkiye strategically uses various soft power tools to strengthen its middle power position. It prioritizes education as a fundamental element in its external policy with Turkish-speaking countries. While considering Kazakhstan as an important partner in Central Asia, Turkiye has been promoting educational initiatives based on common cultural and historical affinities since Kazakhstan gained independence in 1991. Currently, the number of students from Kazakhstan studying in Turkiye has increased by 578% compared to the number 9 years ago, making Turkiye the second popular country for Kazakhstanis to study abroad. Consequently, the literature review section examines the historical and current educational partnership between Turkiye and Kazakhstan, focusing on the impact of the Turkiye Scholarships program on bilateral relations. By employing Joseph Nye's “soft power” theory, the study investigates the effectiveness of educational activities in contributing to the positive image of Turkiye as an attractive educational destination among Kazakhstani students. The research examines the attitudes of Kazakhstani recipients of the largest government scholarship program - Turkiye Burslari or Scholarship program due to its scope. Primary qualitative data in the form of 10 in-depth interviews was collected from Kazakhstani graduates of this scholarship program. The findings support the idea that educational initiatives are a useful soft power tool for Turkiye, contributing to ameliorating its image in Kazakhstan.