Türkiye’s Foreign Policy Under The AKP: Implications and Challenges for India

Md. Muddassir Quamar
Dr Md. Muddassir  Quamar was Associate Fellow at Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies  and Analyses, New Delhi. He holds a Ph.D. in Middle East studies from  Jawaharlal Nehru University.… Continue reading Türkiye’s Foreign Policy Under The AKP: Implications and Challenges for India read more
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Pentagon Press
ISBN 9788195189427
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About The Book

During the first two decades of the twenty-first century, besides the structural factors namely geography, history, politics, international system and the world order, five conjunctural factors dominated Turkish foreign policy behaviour and conduct. These include the Strategic Depth (Stratejik Derinlik) doctrine with ‘zero-problem’ with neighbours embedded in it followed by the Blue Homeland (Mavi Vatan) doctrine focused on enhancing Türkiye’s maritime presence in its immediate neighbourhood and the periphery. Thirdly, and arguably the most important, is the personality of Recep Tayyip Erdogan who as a dominating figure in contemporary Turkish politics has shaped not only the political discourse but foreign policy praxis. Erdogan’s personalised style of interventions has undoubtedly had a profound impact on Ankara’s interactions and engagements with the wider world. Finally, pan-Islamism and neo-Ottomanism are two important drivers in Turkish foreign policy and were visible notably in the Middle East and North Africa region and came into prominence in the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings. In this context, it is pertinent to ask what are Turkish foreign policy ambitions and how do these impact India? Given that Ankara has expanded its presence, or at least is striving to expand it, in the geographically contiguous Southwest Asia region that connects India to the Middle East, the question how Indian foreign policy should view Türkiye becomes even more important. The bilateral challenges between India and Türkiye make it even more pertinent for Indian scholars and policymakers to take a deep and hard look at Türkiye’s foreign policy doctrines and praxis. This book is an attempt in that direction. It systematically analyses the structural and conjunctural factors in Turkish foreign policy and notes that Türkiye’s foreign policy is embedded in a glorified identification of the past, both Ottoman and Kemalist, and in its geographical location as a multi-regional actor. However, the foreign policy ambitions are limited by Türkiye’s economic performance and political sliding. From an Indian viewpoint, the book identifies Pakistan as a limiting factor so far as the bilateral relations are concerned and recommends that New Delhi should use economic leverage and diplomacy to de-hyphenate the Pakistan factor.

About The Author

Md. Muddassir Quamar is Associate Professor at the Centre for West Asian Studies, School of International Studies in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. Until March 2023, he was Associate Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), New Delhi. Dr. Quamar specialises in Middle East strategic affairs, political Islam, and India’s relations with the region. Among other issues he is interested in society, politics and foreign policy of Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. Dr. Quamar has authored and edited several books, published research articles in reputed academic journals and contributed chapters in edited volumes on contemporary developments in the Middle East. He serves as Associate Editor of the Contemporary Review of the Middle East (Sage, India) and served as Book Review Editor of Strategic Analysis between July 2018 and March 2023. In 2014-15, he was a Visiting Fellow at the King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh.


Contents

Acknowledgements

  1. IntroductionForeign Policy Priorities

    Türkiye in the Middle East and South Asia

    Implications for India

    Definition, Rationale and Structure

  2. The Glorious Past: Ottoman and Kemalist Consciousness The Ottoman EraLegal Frameworks

    Political Structures

    Economic and Trade Links

    Society and Culture

    War and Peace

    End of the Empire

  3. The Kemalist EraPolitics and Foreign Policy

    Economic and Social Issues

    Türkiye and World War II

    Conclusion

  4. Discovering the Self in a Bipolar and a Unipolar World Foreign Policy during the Cold WarDeterminants

    External Relations

    Post-Cold War Recalibration

    Internal Political Churnings

    Impact of the External Environment

    Adjusting to Global Politics

    Middle Power Aspirations

    Conclusion

  5. Breaking the Mould: Foreign Policy in the Twenty-First CenturyDomestic Transitions

    Determinants of Foreign Policy under the AKP

    Strategic Depth

    The Blue Homeland

    Erdogan’s Personality

    Pan-Islamism

    Neo-Ottomanism

    External Relations

    Relationship with Traditional Partners

    Relations with other Global Powers

    Neighbourhood and Beyond

    Conclusion

    Strategic Overreach: Türkiye and MENA

    Incentives for a Change in Approach

    Economic Imperatives

    Political Aspirations

    Systemic and Regional Factors

    Improvements in Ties, 2002–10

    Syria

    Iraq

    Egypt

    The GCC States

    Iran

    Israel and Palestinians

    Jordan, Lebanon and the Maghreb Countries

    Arab Spring and Strategic Overreach

    Intervention in Syria

    Confrontation with Egypt

    Involvement in Tunisia

    Interference in Libya

    Türkiye in Iraq

    Challenging Saudi Arabia and Competition with the UAE

    Partnership with Qatar

    Problems with Iran and Israel

    Economic Crisis and Regional Reconciliations

    Conclusion

  6. Turkish Foreign Policy and Implications for IndiaIndo–Turkish Relations

    Efforts to Improve Political Contacts

    Hope for Improved Relations

    Derailment and Heightened Tensions

    Commercial Ties

    Türkiye–Pakistan Relations

    Political Convergence

    Islamic Solidarity

    Geopolitical Stirrings

    Commercial Relations

    Security and Defence Cooperation

    The Turkish Challenge for India

    Bilateral Issues: The Pakistan Factor and Kashmir

    Regional and Systemic Challenges

    Policy Recommendations for India

    Conclusion

Index