This study examines the international relations worldview articulated in the Orkhon Inscriptions—8th-century stone monuments erected by the Türk Khaghanate in Central Asia. Far from being mere commemorative texts, the inscriptions present a complex political philosophy grounded in divine sanction, nomadic statecraft, and strategic realism. Drawing on scholarly translations of the Old Turkic text, the analysis interprets the inscriptions strictly on their own terms and situates them within the broader field of International Relations (IR) theory. Through comparative engagement with Realism, Liberalism and Constructivism, the study reveals both convergences and disjunctions between Turkic thought and mainstream IR paradigms. The inscriptions depict a worldview that is Realist in its emphasis on power and insecurity, Constructivist in its focus on identity and narrative, and distinctively non-Western in its spiritual framing and sociopolitical structure. By highlighting the Türks’ indigenous understanding of international order, leadership, and diplomacy, this paper contributes to the ongoing Global IR agenda that calls for pluralising the theoretical canon. The Orkhon Inscriptions emerge as foundational texts of Türk political thought and serve as a compelling case for expanding IR theory to include historical voices from outside the West.