Heartlands of Eurasia explores how received metageographical knowledge informs the understanding of global processes and is subsequently transformed into geopolitical reasoning with foreign policy implications. It provides a detailed examination of writings, from both within the region and outside, that look into the significance of Halford Mackinder's heritage in the context of a vastly changed world situation. In particular, it attempts to examine how policy makers and strategic thinkers have used these geopolitical concepts as justification for their policy in the region. Finally, it...

While strategic issues continue to be the critical element for foreign policy formulation there are significant dimensions outside the hard core of policy framework that remain by and large unappreciated in policy-related literature. These dimensions envelop a rather wide range of actions/activities that essentially comprise what could be broadly referred to as constituting cultural dynamics. These entail looking beyond the radar of strategic relationships, at socio-cultural engagements encompassing both institutions and communities. These in turn involve a large number of citizens cutting...

This book discusses the Turkish Model of a 'secular, democratic, liberal society' for Central Asian states in the post-Soviet era, showing how the volatile nature of subnational and ultranational agendas complicates the formulation of any single model.