Relvance: Worldwide Relations
Context
Underneath President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Türkiye has adopted an assertive, ideologically pushed but pragmatic overseas coverage, searching for to revive its regional management by a mixture of Islamism, nationalism, and strategic autonomy—typically termed “Neo-Ottomanism.”
Ideological Foundations
- Shift from Kemalism to Political Islam:
- Atatürk’s imaginative and prescient: Secularism, Westernization, and peace-centric overseas coverage.
- Erdogan’s AKP: From pro-EU and financial reforms (2002) → to Islamist-nationalist assertiveness post-Arab Spring.
- Impressed by Ottoman Doctrine:
- Ittihad-i Islam (Unity of Islam): Utilized by Sultan Abdul Hamid II to unite Muslims towards Western imperialism.
- Erdogan mirrors this ideology—supporting pan-Islamic causes, particularly in West Asia and South Asia.
Sensible Purposes
- Arab Spring: Türkiye backed Islamist actions (e.g., Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, rebels in Syria and Libya).
- Syria: Helps opposition to Assad (e.g., HTS); balances ties with Russia through tactical cooperation.
- Libya: Backed Tripoli-based Islamist authorities post-Gaddafi.
- Caucasus: Armed Azerbaijan within the 2023 Nagorno-Karabakh battle towards Armenia.
- Ukraine-Russia Battle:
- Provided Bayraktar drones to Ukraine.
- Purchased S-400 missiles from Russia, defying NATO.
- Refused to impose sanctions on Moscow.
- Gulf Area: Army base in Qatar, cautious rapprochement with Saudi Arabia and UAE.
- South Asia: Aligned with Pakistan on Kashmir, supported Pakistan diplomatically post-Operation Sindoor.
Balancing East and West
- NATO member, hosts U.S. nuclear weapons at Incirlik base.
- Supported Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership, leveraging for political concessions.
- Acts as a swing energy between Russia, the West, and Islamic nations.
Strategic and Home Challenges
- Financial Disaster: Excessive inflation, forex collapse, unemployment.
- Authoritarian Drift:
- Energy centralization through constitutional amendments (government presidency).
- Suppression of dissent (e.g., arrests of opposition figures like Ekrem Imamoglu).
- Geopolitical Overreach:
- Tactical wins (e.g., Syria, Libya) however strategic uncertainty.
- Fragile ties with Arab monarchies (historic distrust).
- Home Instability threatens regional ambitions.
Mains Questions
Q. Focus on how ideology and pragmatism form Türkiye’s overseas coverage beneath President Erdogan.
Q. Look at the implications of Türkiye’s neo-Ottoman overseas coverage for regional stability in West Asia and Eurasia.
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