Turkish Lira Casts Pall Over Caucasus And Central Asia

by Maximilian Hess The Turkish Lira two weeks ago ended one of the most turbulent weeks in its history, settling uneasily at six to the dollar. Turkey’s borrowing spree and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s insistence on low interest rates hastened the lira’s… Continue Reading

Central Asians Cautiously Chart Course Independent of China

by James M. Dorsey China’s brutal crackdown in its north-western province of Xinjiang and growing questions about the dark side of some of its Belt and Road investments is fueling anti-Chinese sentiment, prompting some countries to explore ways to chart… Continue Reading

The Belt and Road through Eurasia: Who Wins and How?

by Nathan Hutson China’s Belt and Road infrastructure development initiative will have its winners and losers. But for now, Beijing is trying to bolster international support for the project, which will link its western provinces to Europe, by keeping some aspects of the… Continue Reading

What Does Kazakhstan’s New Military Doctrine Reveal About Relations With Russia?

by Deirdre Tynan  Without much ado, Kazakhstan adopted a new military doctrine in September, replacing a 2011 document that had become dated. The new document states that Kazakhstan does not have enemies. Yet, Astana seems alarmed enough by Russia’s aggressive… Continue Reading