Mongolia–Turkey relations

While Mongolia and Turkey are modern days far apart, and neither shares any blood connection, historically, the Mongols and Turks developed a strong relationship. Both two people were commonly nomadic peoples despite racial differences, and the cultural sprachbund evolved into a mixture of alliance and conflicts.[1] The Xiongnu people were thought to be the ancestors of modern Turks and Mongols.[2] Both Turks and Mongols view themselves nomadic warriors, and, for a long time, developed a history of fostering alliance against various Chinese Empires in its attempts to preserve its culture and border.[3]

The two peoples also shared a common Turko-Mongol tradition, which gradually developed in common sense of reverence to Tengrism, with a strong pride based on freedom and honors.[4] The belief managed to survive even when the Mongols and Turks adopted other religions, Buddhism and Islam, respectively.

When Genghis Khan established the Mongol Empire, the Turks were split between alliance and hostility. A number of Turkic tribes allied with the Mongol Empire, owning by cultural commonalities; while a number of Turkic tribes rose up and fought against the Mongol rulers, continuing the nomadic traditions.[5] This had continued with various Turko-Mongol governments like Golden Horde, Timurid Empire, the Mughal Empire until the rise of Ottoman Empire, in yet another product of a Turko-Mongol dynasty.[6]

Today, many Turkic peoples continue to share nearly identical cultural customs with its Mongolic counterparts, the result that was traced from history.[7] According from V. Gordlevsky, and retrieved by Russian Turkologist and Mongologist Aleksandr Kadyrbaev "In order to understand the history of Turkic peoples it is necessary to study the Mongols".[8]

Turkey and Mongolia established relations in 1969, when Mongolia was a communist state. The friendly relationship between two countries was reflected in a ceremony back in 2019, when Turkish ambassador to Mongolia Ahmet Yazal declared "We have historical, cultural and social relations that date back to 2000 years ago. We can do many things to ensure that this friendship will take us further", adding that Mongolia will always be a third neighbor of Turkey.[9]

Also, Turkey and Mongolia have deepened their cooperation, ranged from education to economic assistance, as well as historical commitment to understand the ancient relations of two nations.[10]

• Genetic affinities among Mongol ethnic groups and their relationship to Turks
• Embassy of Mongolia in Ankara
• Embassy of Turkey in Ulaanbaatar