Bumin, the Turkish khagan, dies shortly after his victory over the Rouran and the new Turk empire splits into two halves.

Bumin's son Muhan rules the eastern part, centered on Mongolia; Bumin's brother Istämi rules the western part, centered on in Ektagh, an unidentified place, possibly in either the Ili or Chu river valley.

His khaganate in less than a century will expand to comprise most of Central Asia.

The Göktürks behead three thousand Rouran in 555.

Some scholars claim that the Rouran then fled west across the steppes and became the Avars, though many other scholars contest this claim.

The remainder of the Rouran flee into China, are absorbed into the border guards, and disappear forever as an entity.

The last Rouran khagan flees to the court of Western Wei, but at the demand of the Gökturks, Western Wei executes him and the nobles that had accompanied him.

The Gökturk expansion also pushes against the Avars, who are driven toward the East Roman Empire and the Sassanid Empire and eventually toward the Danube.

Other tribes of Central Asia, such as the eastern Bulgars, are also displaced.

A new nation, that of the Turks, has emerged in the east.

The seat of the western part of the Turk Empire founded by Bumin in 552, ruled by Bumin's brother Istämi, lies in Ektagh, an unidentified place, possibly in either the Ili or Chu river valley.

Istämi establishes diplomatic relations with Constantinople in 558.

The Sassanid monarch Khosrau of Persia, by concluding an alliance with a Turkish leader called Sinjibu (Silzibul), is able with Turkish help to attack and destroy the Hephthalite empire in 560.

The Western Gökturks establish a common frontier with Persia, thereby gaining control over an important portion of the Silk Road leading from China to Constantinople.