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In the 6th century CE, the Göktürk Khaganate emerged as a dominant power in Central Asia, extending its influence across vast territories, including parts of present-day Turkmenistan. The Göktürks, a confederation of Turkic-speaking tribes, established one of the first empires to unite various nomadic groups under a single banner.
During this period, early Turkic-speaking tribes began migrating into the region. These movements marked the initial phases of a significant cultural and linguistic shift in Central Asia. The arrival of Turkic peoples gradually introduced their languages and traditions, blending with the existing Indo-European and Iranian cultural heritage.
This interaction set the stage for the transformation of Central Asia into a Turkic-dominated region in the centuries to come, laying the foundation for the later dominance of Turkic cultures in the region. The Göktürk Khaganate’s influence not only reshaped the political landscape but also connected Central Asia to broader networks spanning from East Asia to the Mediterranean.