The Geographical and Geopolitical Understanding of Eurasia in Russian and Turkish Eurasianist Discourses

Abstract

Since the 1990s, Eurasianism has developed as an ideological basis for some political parties and movements in both Russia and Turkey, particularly for the regional integration programs of both countries. However, the geographical and geopolitical boundaries of Eurasia vary in both political and scientific discourses within these countries and are not always aligned. Thus, a question arises: Where is Eurasia in the context of Eurasianism, and how to determine its geopolitical boundaries? The article argues that the boundaries of Eurasia, according to various Russian and Turkish conceptions of Eurasianism, differ based on the perceptions of geographic nationalism of these countries.