“South Turkestan” as an Instrument for the Fragmentation of Afghanistan
Author: Aziz Arianfar, former Ambassador of Afghanistan to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, Director of the Afghanistan Studies Center in Germany (Frankfurt, Germany).
In recent days, some friends have raised questions regarding Erdogan’s pan-Turkist/Zionist project of creating the fictional and artificial republic called “South Turkestan.”
For example:
Are the people of ancient Herat willing, in the event of the creation of South Turkestan, to live under the flag of such a state? What percentage of Herat’s population is Turkic-speaking?
Have those promoting the South Turkestan project — which is allegedly supported and financed by the fascist Islamist/Zionist regime of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan — consulted with the people of Herat? Have they asked whether they are willing to live under the flag of South Turkestan? Do they agree with this name? Do they accept a Turkic identity? Is this not a violation of democratic principles?
Without question, the state language of /even this imaginary and illusory/ South Turkestan would be Uzbek. Is a province whose overwhelming majority speaks Persian willing to accept Uzbek as its official state and national language?
The same questions apply to the people of Balkh, Takhar, Badakhshan, and other northern provinces.
It is interesting that when the fate of tens of millions of northern inhabitants is being discussed, nobody has consulted them or asked whether they support this project or even agree with the partition of the country. Has there been any discussion about the political structure of such a state or the participation of millions of northern residents in its political system?
It would be better if the people of Herat, Badakhshan, and other northern provinces answered these questions themselves.
My answer is clear. For the past ten to fifteen years, I have warned day and night about the arrival of such a moment and pointed out the serious dangers of such a project. I have repeatedly written that pan-Turkism has nothing to do with our honorable and noble Turkic-speaking population. It is a reactionary project created and promoted by foreign forces to fuel discord, division, and hostility in the north and throughout the country. It is supported and financed by well-known external circles and their internal allies. If this sedition is not neutralized at its inception, it may in the future lead to endless wars and bloodshed.
As for the question of whether the countries of Central Asia and Russia would support this project or not:
As far as I am familiar with the policies of the Turkic-speaking countries of Central Asia and Russia /I served for three years as ambassador to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan/, the states of Central Asia will never go under the banner of Türkiye — a member of NATO — and the Islamist regime of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Their strategic interests are closely tied to Russia and China.
Moreover, Türkiye itself is deeply entangled in extremely complex internal and external problems and stands on the verge of dramatic developments related to the issue of Greater Kurdistan. It does not possess the capability to play a role comparable to that of Russia or China.
These countries will never support the partition of Afghanistan or the creation of the fictional and illusory republic of “South Turkestan.” They fully understand that the emergence of a Greater Pashtunistan would create a major threat from the south, and that a future Pashtunistan, with the support of China, the United States, or Arab countries, could quickly absorb South Turkestan and erase it from the political map.
The leaders of the Turkic-speaking countries of Central Asia are pragmatic and rational politicians, and they will never support adventurous projects promoted by mysterious foreign circles. They will also never support the idea of creating Turkestan/Turan or agree to march under the banner of the Islamist regime of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, because first of all they are committed to their own national identity and independence.
These states have dozens of agreements and treaties with Russia and will never jeopardize their own security and stability for the sake of illusory and unrealistic ideas.
Furthermore, such a project would lead to endless and bloody wars in northern Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the countries of Central Asia are interested in stability in Afghanistan, investment opportunities, and the construction of railways and gas pipelines to Pakistan and India.
Russia also will not allow the disintegration of Afghanistan. Otherwise, it would completely lose influence over the Pashtuns, while a future Greater Pashtunistan could orient itself toward the West or China and create serious problems for Russia. The creation of a Turkestan state with the support of Türkiye and the West would also pose a serious threat to Russia itself.
In conclusion, the creation of an independent “South Turkestan” is unrealistic. It is a dream, a fantasy, and madness. However, such a project could ignite enormous unrest in the north and lead to extremely serious consequences.
