The Greater Eurasian Partnership and Eurasia’s New Economic Architecture
The Greater Eurasian Partnership (GEP), known in Turkish as Büyük Avrasya Ortaklığı, represents a global geopolitical and geoeconomic concept aimed at reshaping the Eurasian continent within a multipolar international order.
Unlike traditional closed economic unions, the GEP is described in Turkish analytical reports as a flexible ecosystem seeking to harmonize and connect existing regional organizations and initiatives.
These include:
- The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU);
- The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO);
- The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN);
- China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
The objective of the Greater Eurasian Partnership is to establish a common free trade area, eliminate tariff barriers and promote settlements in national currencies through independent payment systems. These objectives have become particularly relevant in 2026.
The GEP has officially replaced the outdated Greater Europe strategy, which envisioned an integrated space stretching from Lisbon to Vladivostok.
The shift toward the East has created a new axis, with Asia’s economic potential serving as its main driving force.
As emphasized during the 19th Verona Eurasian Economic Forum, held in Istanbul in October 2026, almost two-thirds of global GDP is now generated within this vast geographical space, which also contains the main transport arteries of the future.
Türkiye’s Approach: Infrastructure Benefits and Political Balance
Turkish analysts assess the Greater Eurasian Partnership through the perspective of Türkiye’s national interests and the development of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).
The concept is examined from two main perspectives.
Infrastructure benefits are linked to Türkiye’s active promotion of its own transport project, the Middle Corridor, connecting China, Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, Türkiye and Europe.
Turkish logistics specialists do not view the GEP as a threat, but rather as an opportunity to connect transport routes, including integration with the International North-South Transport Corridor, to establish a major Eurasian transport crossroads.
Political balance is another important consideration for Ankara.
Eurasian initiatives, including the GEP and Chinese projects, serve as an important counterweight in Türkiye’s relations with the West.
At the same time, Turkish analysts openly acknowledge areas of competition.
Türkiye seeks to strengthen Turkic identity and its own energy independence in Central Asia, where the interests of Moscow and Beijing intersect.
Türkiye’s Role in Eurasian Transport Projects
As part of its multilateral transport policy, Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that no major Eurasian infrastructure project can be fully effective without Ankara’s participation.
The ministry’s position is based on aligning the Greater Eurasian Partnership with Türkiye’s own projects.
It actively promotes synergy between Eurasian transport routes and Türkiye’s Middle Corridor, as well as the Development Road Project (Kalkınma Yolu), which is currently under construction.
According to expert assessments, Türkiye seeks to establish institutional links between the International North-South Transport Corridor, which is of significant interest to the GEP, and its own infrastructure through transport hubs in Iran and the Caucasus.
For Turkish diplomacy, Eurasian integration has a clearly defined priority: strengthening the Organization of Turkic States.
In its official discourse, Türkiye positions the OTS as an independent and powerful pillar of the future Greater Eurasia.
Ankara is prepared to cooperate with GEP initiatives, including the EAEU and SCO, but only on the basis of equal partnership.
At the same time, Türkiye intends to preserve its leadership role in the Turkic world and its position as the principal bridge between Central Asia and Europe.
Foreign Policy Diversification and 360-Degree Diplomacy
Türkiye is pursuing a policy of diversifying its international partnerships and platforms.
In 2026, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan officially confirmed the expansion of the Asian dimension of Turkish diplomacy.
Türkiye is actively developing its ASEAN dialogue partner status, formally established in the summer of 2026, while expressing its intention to deepen cooperation with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and maintain engagement with BRICS.
For the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this does not mean abandoning Western commitments, including NATO membership or Türkiye’s status as a candidate for European Union membership.
Instead, it is considered an instrument of 360-degree diplomacy, in which Türkiye acts as an independent diplomatic intermediary between East and West.
National Currencies and Independent Financial Systems
Representatives of the Turkish government’s economic administration regularly emphasize their support for Eurasian initiatives aimed at establishing independent financial systems.
Türkiye supports the transition toward settlements in national currencies, as envisaged by the Greater Eurasian Partnership.
These include the Turkish lira, Russian ruble, Chinese yuan and Iranian rial.
The objective is to reduce vulnerability to external sanctions pressure and diversify international trade networks.
Within the GEP concept, Türkiye positions itself as an independent Eurasian hub and an equal partner.
Rather than unconditionally joining initiatives led by major powers such as Russia or China, Ankara seeks to use their potential to maximize its own geopolitical influence from Europe to the Asia-Pacific region.
The 19th Verona Eurasian Economic Forum in Istanbul
The results of the 19th Verona Eurasian Economic Forum, held on 22-23 October 2026 at Istanbul’s Çırağan Palace, marked an institutional shift from a European-centered discussion toward a broader Eurasian framework.
The relocation of the forum from Italy to Türkiye due to geopolitical circumstances transformed Istanbul into a key neutral platform for dialogue between East and West.
According to Turkish business publications, the forum attracted a record number of participants, with more than 1,300 attendees from 35 countries.
It became a unique meeting point where representatives of Türkiye, Russia, China and India held discussions alongside a substantial business delegation from the United States, participating for the first time.
One of the forum’s central political messages, widely reported by Turkish media, came from Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan, Chairman of the TÜRGEV Foundation and adviser to the Turkish President.
His statement, “We do not say no to anyone,” reflects Ankara’s official doctrine.
Türkiye reaffirmed its position as an open Eurasian center, prepared to cooperate simultaneously with all major global blocs.
Logistics, Finance and New Cooperation Mechanisms
During sessions dedicated to logistics and finance, participants highlighted fundamental changes in the global economy.
Existing initiatives aimed at connecting national stock exchanges and securities depositories, as well as expanding the use of national currencies in international settlements, were presented.
However, Turkish experts noted that no fundamentally new unified payment mechanism was announced.
In the transport sector, the International North-South Transport Corridor and the Middle Corridor were recognized as indispensable routes amid the continuing crises in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.
Türkiye’s Position in a Multipolar Economy
The Verona Forum in Istanbul demonstrated that the global economy has definitively entered a multipolar era.
Türkiye is successfully capitalizing on its geographical and political position, offering American, European and Asian businesses a safe haven for managing Eurasian logistics and financial flows.