From 2002-2017, to What Extent has Turkish Security Policy Been Effective

Abstract

This monograph examines Turkish foreign and domestic security policy since 2002 in order to understand how the effective delivery of policy has been influenced by changing Turkish perceptions of the role of religion, history, geography, the military and key political figures. Turkey has gradually undergone a transformation away from its secular roots as envisaged by the founder of the modern Turkish state, Mustafa Kemal Atatrk. The role of religion, so long repressed as Turkey sought to create a secular state, has re-emerged as a powerful force in Turkish politics, and eventually brought the Adalet ve Kalknma Partisi (AKP) Islamist leaning party to power in 2002. Turkish perceptions of its history and central geographic position, particularly as it relates to the Ottoman Empire period, has also become a key driver in policymaking. The role of the Turkish military has undergone a fundamental transformation with its traditional role as the 'guarantors of the state' in the Kemalist tradition challenged and ultimately broken by the AKP leadership. The cult of personality has once again come to the fore, with Recep Tayyip Erdoan, first as Prime Minister and now the incumbent President, dominating Turkish politics in a way not seen since Atatrk in the 1920s-1930s. Turkey's perception of regional and major actors such as the U.S. and Russia has also fundamentally changed, with Turkey adopting a more aggressive policy internally and externally in response to changing security threats. As a result of the complex interaction of these varying factors, this paper concludes that the effectiveness of Turkey's security policymaking has declined to the point where it has become reactive and therefore generally ineffective in realizing Turkey's foreign and domestic policy goals.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 13, 2017
Accession Number
AD1039192

Entities

People

  • William R. Lynch

Organizations

  • School of Advanced Military Studies

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Autonomy
  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Birds
  • Civil War
  • Ethnic Groups
  • Geography
  • Governments
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Law
  • International Organizations
  • International Relations
  • Minority Groups
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Political Systems
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • Treaties

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • International Relations and European Studies
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.