Turkey's role as a regional and global player and its power capacity: Turkey's engagement with other emerging states

Abstract

Turkey's role as a regional power has increased since Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power. AKP leadership not only aspired to become a regional power but also a global player. Turkey has, therefore, assumed different roles: the "natural leader" of the region; a historical "big brother;" and the "protector" of the Muslim minorities. Turkey has also assumed a "mediator" and a "facilitator" role by trying to negotiate a deal with an emerging power such as Brazil in order to attempt to resolve the controversial Iranian nuclear issue. By making use of recent developments, Turkey tried to solidify its long desired role as a "rising power" by increasing its influence in its neighborhood and engaging with other emerging powers. The concept "regional power" is a context-based notion. In other words, the location and geography are contesting and disputed approaches. Notwithstanding the fact that concepts such as "region" and "power" are social constructed reality, this paper analyzes the notion of 'regional power' as a subcategory of 'power'. In this context, this paper will make use of Stefan Schim's criteria while analyzing Turkey's power capacity in the region. Schim posits that the "regional power" needs to have a "role definition," and it should possess material power (hard power). It should also have economic as well as diplomatic and organizational capacity. Its power whether it is 'soft power' (attraction of ones idea's and or the ability to set the political agenda in a way that shapes the preferences of other actors) or 'hard power' (material power that can be measured-economic and military power) needs to be acknowledged by other actors in the region. It should also be accepted by great powers and emerging powers that are determinant in the international system. dditionally, the regional power (and/ or global power) needs to have leverage, thus its power projection needs to yield results. Kalevi Holsti's role theory will be used as theoretical framework to analyze foreign policy behavior of the AKP. The paper will, thus, seek to find out Turkey's roles.

Erdoğan's Endless Dreams

“…Turkey has attempted to justify its intervention in Libya in this context. This task is fully in line with Erdoğan's personality traits and style of government (Gurzel 2014, 99).…”

Turkish Islam-Nationalism Under AKP: A New Model for the Muslim World?

“…Turkey tends to make use of Islamic semantics, such as those pertaining to politics, history, humanitarianism, justice, and human rights, in its narratives. Turkey's foreign policy agenda, as an extension of the Turkish model, encapsulates Turkey's intention to emerge as a 'natural leader' in the region, as well as a 'historical big-brother' and 'protector' to the Muslim world (Gürzel, 2014;Trofımov, 2014).…”

Quo Vadis Turcjo – koniec europejskiego kierunku w polityce zagranicznej Turcji?

“…Jego aktywność była widoczna w Tunezji, Libii i Egipcie, gdzie występował w roli przywódcy państwa demokratycznego, nowoczesnego, ale zarazem muzułmańskiego, mogącego stanowić model dla tworzenia podwalin konstytucyjnych w tych krajach. Turcja zaczęła w regionie kreować się na lidera sunnickiego islamu, godząc tym samym w interesy szyickiego Teheranu (Gürzel, 2014), ale także wywołując niechęć innego gracza w regionie, Arabii Saudyjskiej. Erdoğan szczególnie zaangażował się w Syrii, gdzie wsparł antyrządową opozycję, domagając się początkowo przeprowadzenia reform przez prezydenta Baszara al Asada, a następnie zażądał jego ustąpienia.…”