Turkey – the evolving interface of international relations and domestic politics

Abstract

Since late in the Ottoman Empire until after the end of the Cold War, Turkey’s foreign policy was essentially defensive, seeking to maintain the status quo. Particularly during the Cold War, this manifested itself in a strong Western orientation, with considerable neglect of relations with the developing world. Following the break-up of the Soviet Union, Turkey’s interests diversified, although pursuit of membership in the European Union (EU) stood out as a key goal. Indeed, compliance with EU criteria was behind liberal domestic reform. However, Turkey’s non-interventionist and liberal stance has been gradually abandoned with a rise in Islamic references in both domestic and international politics, and a drift away from the EU is apparent. Turkey’s leaders have vocally supported those that the government feels are wrongly treated in the international arena. This emphasis on morality reflects the views of domestic religious conservative groups, which form the new centres of power in Turkey. However, an increasingly sectarian approach and repeated statements stressing Turkey’s independence from the West reduce its effectiveness in the region and globally, contrary to Turkey’s professed foreign policy objectives.

Keywords:

• Turkey
• emerging powers
• Turkey–Africa relations
• Turkey–European Union relations
• Middle East
• BRICS
• MIKTA

Acknowledgements

An earlier version of this article was presented at the conference ‘Alliances Beyond BRICS’ organised on 4 and 5 December 2014 in Pretoria by the University of Pretoria in collaboration with the South African Institute of International Affairs. Generous support by the organisers which prompted the preparation of this paper and made possible the author’s attendance at the very interesting conference is gratefully acknowledged.

Notes on contributor

Mehmet Arda was the Head of the Commodities Branch at UNCTAD where he worked for 25 years. He was Professor of International Relations and Economics at Galatasaray University, Istanbul (2007–2013). Currently he is active in the Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies (EDAM) and Global Relations Forum (GIF). He is a founding member of SenDeGel, a civil society organization providing development assistance to Least Developed Countries. Occasionally he undertakes consultancy work for the United Nations and the Turkish Government. He has a BA in Economics from Dartmouth College, and a Ph.D in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley.

Notes

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