Foreign and Domestic Objectives in Turkish Approaches to Changes in Global Order

In the first years of the twenty-first century, several events ushered in geopolitical changes that significantly altered the international order. After the terror attacks of 9/11, U.S. foreign policy engendered near-peer competitors to challenge U.S. hegemony in various arenas, laying the groundwork for the transition to multipolarity. Concurrently, the Justice and Development Party in Türkiye came to power and was determined to increase the country’s role in regional and global affairs. To do so, Türkiye often utilized strategies of opposition towards U.S. policies while forging better relations with ascending players in the incipient great power competition. This paper employs the qualitative method to analyze Türkiye's policies in Syria and Ukraine and argues that Türkiye utilizes great power competition to a) cement strategic autonomy while strengthening regional and global posturing and b) create strategic leverage over domestic electoral rivals. The findings reinforce Park’s concept of middle powers and suggest increasing agency for middle powers in the increasingly multi-polar world.