Wen President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tok for di Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit wey dem do for Tianjin, China, e mark one big moment for Türkiye and di group wey represent 41 percent of di world population.
For Türkiye, di meaning of Erdogan presence pass just ceremony. Ankara na di first and only NATO member wey get SCO dialogue partner status, and dem don get am since 2012.
Dis kain position show how Türkiye dey try balance two worlds: e dey inside im traditional Western alliance, but e dey also put body for Eurasian partnership.
As di world power dey divide into different camps, Ankara dey present itself as bridge between dem—a country wey fit waka between Brussels, Beijing, Washington, and Moscow.
Under Erdogan leadership, Türkiye don dey expand im SCO influence. For 2017, dem chair di SCO Energy Club, wey put Ankara for di center of di most important resource discussion for Eurasia.
Recently, trade with China and Russia—di two big powers for SCO—don increase well well, wey show say di economic reason for di partnership dey strong.
But Ankara interest for SCO no just dey about money matter. For Türkiye, di organisation na door to Central Asia, where countries like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan—wey be SCO founding members—get cultural, language, and political connection with Ankara through di Organisation of Turkic States.
Azerbaijan application to join SCO as full member still dey add to dis Turkic connection. Di SCO dey give Türkiye political power and chance to mix im NATO identity with im Eurasian role.
Di summit wey get global meaning.
From August 31 to September 1, Tianjin host one meeting wey fit change di way Eurasian politics dey go. Di SCO, wey start as small security group to fight terrorism, separatism, and extremism, don turn to one of di most important regional alliances for di 21st century.
With China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus, and di Central Asian countries as full members, di SCO now represent one big group wey dey control more than 34 percent of di world GDP.
Dis year summit happen wen di world dey face many wahala: di war for Ukraine, wahala for Middle East, Donald Trump new tariffs wey dey affect global trade, and di fight between Washington and Beijing.
For dis kind time, di SCO dey stand out as one of di few places wey rivals like China and India, or India and Pakistan, fit sit down together. Even small agreement for di group dey important for dis time of big political division.
All di ten SCO leaders attend di summit, but di presence of India Prime Minister Narendra Modi dey special, as e be im first visit to China since 2018, and e fit mean say di relationship between China and India fit dey better.
More than 12 leaders from observer and dialogue partner countries and heads of big international organisations still join di two-day event.
Türkiye calculated balancing.
Erdogan presence as di guest of honour for dis big meeting show how Türkiye dey important to di SCO. Ankara no be full member, but di way e dey balance between East and West dey make sense.
NATO and SCO don dey see as two different camps, but Türkiye, wey be founding NATO ally, dey position itself as di link between di two sides.
Dis kain move no dey without risk. Di way Ankara dey join Eurasian groups don make some Western countries dey look dem with doubt, especially as di wahala with China and Russia dey increase.
But Erdogan sabi how to play both sides—e dey use Türkiye NATO membership to get defence benefits, while e dey use Eurasian connection for energy, trade, and political power.
Di idea na say for dis world wey get many powers, di best way na to balance. Türkiye economy dey depend on Western markets, but di energy wey dem need dey come from Russia, and dem trade plans dey depend on China Belt and Road.
Di SCO dey give Ankara chance to balance all dis interests, while e dey position itself as peacemaker for world wahala—from di Ukraine war to Middle East crisis.
Di SCO own wahala.
Di SCO itself get di own division wey dey affect di group unity. Di long-time fight between India and Pakistan, di way China dey dominate di economy, and di disagreement on Russia war for Ukraine dey make di group work hard to stay together.
But even small success dey important. For di final Tianjin Declaration, di leaders talk say dem go continue to work together for security, fight terrorism, and stop drug trafficking.
Dem still agree to tackle di risk wey Artificial Intelligence fit bring and support di right of countries to control di Internet. Dem condemn di US and Israel attack for Iran and di killing of people for Gaza.
But like di Astana Declaration of 2024, di final document no mention Ukraine.
For Türkiye, to dey part of dis discussion na big achievement. E dey give Ankara chance to influence Eurasian plans, build better relationship with other countries, and show di Western allies say e get other options apart from NATO and EU.
Di way Ankara dey mediate between Russia and Ukraine on grain export, di way e dey expand trade with China, and di way e dey keep defence ties with NATO, all show say Türkiye sabi how to stay flexible.
Na dis flexibility dey give Türkiye power: e fit tok to both Beijing and Moscow in ways wey Western Europe no fit, and e still get influence for Brussels and Washington in ways wey SCO countries no fit.
For dis time wey no single power dey control di world, dis dual identity dey make Türkiye one of di few countries wey fit waka between di different sides.
