Following the collapse of the Soviet Union Turkey established economic, cultural and political links to Turkic states in Central Asia, namely Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan and to countries in Caucasus like Azerbaijan and Georgia. Some experts argue that Turkey has limited resources to expend Central Asia and are hampered by foreign-policy priorities elsewhere, such as relations with the European Union. However, Turkey has continued and improved her relations with the Central Asian republics in the economic, political, and cultural spheres. Trade volume between Turkey and Caucasus and Central Asia has increased and Turkish private sector is heavily invested in Caucasus and Central Asia.
