Turkish Foreign Policy

Turkish foreign policy has evolved significantly in response to changing global and regional circumstances. In the immediate aftermath of the First World War, Türkiye aimed to establish itself within the Western-dominated world order, focusing on national identity construction through modernization. Its main concerns were sovereignty and equality as a recognized and respected member of the international community of states. The Cold War years saw Türkiye aligning with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), driven by both security concerns related to the Soviet Union and a desire for Western recognition. This resulted in a rather dependent foreign policy (compared to the interwar period) and a Cold War security state. In the post–Cold War era, Türkiye’s foreign policy oscillated between competing identity frameworks, from Europeanism to Eurasianism to Islamism and Neo-Ottomanism, also with reference to corresponding political–economic understanding and policies. Under the Justice and Development Party (AKP) rule, Türkiye’s foreign policy emphasized its regional power aspirations (which had already started in the 1990s before the AKP), notably in the Middle East; yet this vision faced limitations, particularly with the conflict in Syria. Despite significant attempts to advance in the European Union accession process in the 1990s and the 2000s, Türkiye’s European identity remained contested, with European reluctance to grant membership exacerbating frustrations and further complicating Türkiye’s foreign policy, in addition to the Turkish ruling elites’ ambivalent posture and behaviors. While Türkiye’s foreign policy has evolved (or oscillated) across these periods, certain fundamental continuities persist. The overarching priority of securing sovereignty and equal status within the international system has remained a consistent theme in Turkish foreign policy. Despite all the evolutions and oscillations, Türkiye’s foreign policy has never fully departed from its fundamental concerns of sovereignty, territorial integrity, diplomatic engagement, and strategic balancing, even as its alliance relations and geopolitical attitude continue to evolve in response to new global or regional orders.