THE JOURNAL OF CENTRAL ASIAN STUDIES Volume: XXII 2015 ISSN: 0975-086X Chief Editor Prof. G. N. Khaki Editor Prof. G. M. Mir Associate Editors Dr. M. Raffiudin Makhdumi Dr. Darakhshan Abdullah Dr.Dr. Mohammad Tareak A. AfzalRather Mir Dr.Dr. Tareak M. Afzal A. Rather Mir Technical Assistance Nazir A. Doshab Dr. Fayaz A. Loan Centre of Central Asian Studies University of Kashmir Srinagar, J&K, India © Publisher, Centre of Central Asian Studies, University of Kashmir. No part of this Journal may be reprinted in original or translated without the explicit permission of the Publisher. The views expressed in this volume of the Journal are opinions of contributors and can not be associated with the Publisher or Editorial Board. The Journal is peer reviewed, refereed and indexed in EBSCOhost and ProQuest. The Journal is also available online through EBSCO Host Database: Political Science Complete on web.ebscohost.com; and on the University of Kashmir web page http://ccas.uok.edu.in. Scope of the Journal: The Journal welcomes original papers on any aspect of Central Asia, preferably, contemporary problems and emerging regional issues. Print Year: 2016 Price: ` 900 / $ 20 Printed at Mehak Printing Press, New Delhi, India. Contents Contributors i-iii Turkey’s Foreign Policy Shifts Towards Syria M. Thowhidul Islam 1-22 Connect Central Asia Policy And Indian Outfoxing Bawasingh 23-34 Revisiting Al-Farabi’s Legacy Engaging with the Culture of Political Islam M. Maroof Shah 35-72 Caspia Genesis Of Energy Politics R. G. Gidadhubli 73-81 Scope and Feasibility of Islamic Banking And Finance Model Kazakhstan & Indian Perspective Bilal A. Malik G. N. Khaki 83-98 Human Rights At Jeopardy The Central Asian Context Govind Kumar Inakhiya 99-108 New Maritime Silk Route Challenges and Opportunities for India Imtiyaz A. Mailk G. M. Mir 109-117 Indo - Kazakhstan Nuclear Partnership Agreement Harmeet Singh 119-126 Afghanistan Democracy and Ethnic Paradox Tareak A. Rather Nurgiss Nazir 127-136 Food Shortages In Kashmir Response of Society Danish Mehran 137-156 Central Asian Water Resources Crises and Management Hamid Rasool 157-167 Energy Consumption And Economic Growth An Analysis of Central Asian States M. Ibrahim Wani M. Afzal Mir 169-178 Peace And Conflict Studies Need and Evolution S . Showkat Dar 179-196 Role Of Labour Migration In The Development Of Former Soviet Republics And Russian Federation Sergey V. Ryazantsev 197-208 India’s Afghan Policy Pakistan Perspective and China Factor Tabasum Firdous Tajalley Nazir Ashfaq M. Ali 209-220 Contributors Prof. Sergey V. Ryazantsev (Sociologist) Corresponding Member of RAS; Head, Centre for Social Demography and Economic Sociology, Institute for Socio-political Research Moscow, Russian Federation e-mail: [email protected] Dr. Mohammad Thowhidul Islam (IR Analyst) Assistant Professor Center for University Requirement Courses (CENURC) International Islamic University Chittagong (IIUC), Bangladesh Dr. Bawasingh (Area Expert) Assistant Professor South and Central Asian Studies Central University of Punjab, India e-mail: [email protected] Prof. G. N. Khaki (Islamic Studies Expert) Director Centre of Central Asian Studies University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K, India e-mail: [email protected] Prof. R. G. Gidadhubli (Economist) Former Director Center for Central Eurasian Studies University of Mumbai, India e-mail: [email protected] Prof. G. M. Mir (Geographer) Director, ASC Centre of Central Asian Studies University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K, India e-mail: [email protected] Dr. Govind Kumar Inakhiya (Regional Analyst) Assistant Professor Department of Public Policy and Public Administration Central University of Jammu, J&K, India e-mail: [email protected] Hamid Rasool (Resource Manager) Ph.D. Scholar Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India e-mail: [email protected] Muhammad Maroof Shah (Philosopher) Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar, India e-mail: [email protected] Dr. Harmeet Singh (Area Expert) Sr. Research Fellow School of International Studies (SIS) Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi, India e-mail: [email protected] Dr. Tareak A Rather (Sociologist) Associate Professor Centre of Central Asian Studies University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K, India [email protected] Dr. Mohammad Afzal Mir (Economist) Associate Professor Centre of Central Asian Studies University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K, India e-mail: [email protected] Dr. Tabasum Firdous (IR Specialist) Sr. Assistant Professor Centre of Central Asian Studies University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K, India e-mail: [email protected] Dr. Shaheen Showkat Dar (Strategic Analyst) Post Doctoral Fellow, ICSSR University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K, India e-mail: [email protected] Dr. Mohammad Ibrahim Wani (Economist) Post Doctoral Fellow, ICSSR Centre of Central Asian Studies University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K, India e-mail: [email protected] ii Imtiaz Ahmed Malik (Geographer) Ph. D. Scholar Centre of Central Asian Studies University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K, India e-mail: [email protected] Danish Mehran (Historian) Ph. D. Scholar Department of History University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K, India e-mail: [email protected] Ashfaq Maqsood Ali (Political Scientist) Ph. D. Scholar Centre of Central Asian Studies University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K, India e-mail: [email protected] Bilal Ahmad Malik (Isalmic Studies Expert) Ph. D. Scholar Centre of Central Asian Studies University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K, India e-mail: [email protected] Tajalley Nazir (Educationist) Department of Education Government of J&K, India Nurgiss Nazir (Sociologist) Ph.D. Scholar Centre of Central Asian Studies University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K, India e-mail: [email protected] iii Turkey’s Foreign Policy Shifts Towards Syria M. Thowhidul Islam Abstract Being located at the crossroads of Asia, Europe and Africa, connecting Middle East, Balkan and Caucasus alongwith its historical legacy of Ottoman Empire, Turkey plays an important role in the regional and global politics as well as determines its foreign policy accordingly. Justice and Development Party (AKP) led by Erdogan with Islamic ideological background entering to Turkish politics in 2001, got victory in the elections of 2002, since then hitherto ruling the country. AKP government’s foreign policy followed ‘zero problem’ and ‘strategic depth’ principles with Turkish vicinity. Turkish-Syrian interactions had begun in the 8th century under Umayyad caliphate. The Turks gradually occupied higher ranks in Umayyad state and settled down at the territories today called Syria. During Seljuk time, Turks captured Syria which replaced with Mamluks. The Ottomans regained sovereignty in Syria at the 16th century which continued till the end of First World War. Then, Turkish-Syrian relations developed as mandate shaped by France. Since then, some conflicting issues affecting Turkish-Syrian relations such as the Hatay (Sanjak) issue, water sharing issues. During Syria’s independence in 1936, Turkey demanded Hatay’s independence too, which was denied by France. On the eve of Second World War in 1939, Hatay was ceded to Turkey. Since then, it became an issue of conflict. The water sharing has also been another issue of debate. Concerning security issues, both countries situated at opposite sites. Syria supported PKK, which Ankara regarded as terrorist group operating against Turkey. This hostile attitude gradually changed under AKP’s soft foreign policy towards Syria. Potential Kurdish state risk after Iraq war, common security perceptions after 9/11, compelled both the countries to adopt collective security measures. This article is exclusively aimed at discovering the factors which prompted Turkey to shift its policy towards Syria during the crises caused by Arab Spring. It will also include the nature and historical developments of Turkish-Syrian relations with a view to understanding the driving factors behind shifting policy. Keywords Turkish-Syrian Relations, Foreign Policy, AKP, Arab Spring, Policy Shifts, Hatay, Strategic Depth, Bilateral Relations. Introduction Being located at the crossroads of Asia, Europe and Africa, connecting trouble zones of Balkan, Middle East and Caucasus, with a predominant Muslim Turkey’s Foreign Policy Shifts Towards Syria population and as a bridge between the West and Islam (Bagci & Kardas, 2003), Turkey occupies an important geopolitical and geostrategic position in global politics, which plays a vital role in determining its foreign policy. As the inheritor of Ottoman empire, Turkey plays a dominant role in the regional politics. Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi-AKP) was formed in 2001 with Islamic ideological background under the leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdogan which swept victory in the general elections of 2002, while major political parties that ruled the country for decades failed to secure 10% vote (Carkoglu, 2002). Since then, the AKP hitherto rules the country with an increasing vote percentage. Turkey’s AKP government has initiated diversified foreign policy prioritizing its Ottoman legacy and geostrategic importance, which contradicts traditional Kemalist1 policy. Proposing ‘zero problem’2 principle with Turkish vicinity, it developed close ties with neighboring countries including the Middle East, Eurasia, Balkans and Caucasus regions contrary to the secluded structure of Kemalist foreign policy tendency (Aras, 2009). It called for an activist engagement with all of the