Skip to main content
Kent Academic Repository

Turkey’s Volte-Face Politics: Understanding the AKP’s Securitization Policy toward the Syrian Conflict

Aghaie Joobani, Hossein, Ad?sönmez, Umut Can (2018) Turkey’s Volte-Face Politics: Understanding the AKP’s Securitization Policy toward the Syrian Conflict. New Middle Eastern Studies, 8 (1). ISSN 2051-0861. (doi:10.29311/nmes.v8i1.2897) (KAR id:72104)

Abstract

Throughout its Republican history, Turkey has attempted to formulate a “non-interventionist” foreign policy toward its neighbouring countries. Since the onset of the Arab Uprisings, however, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has abjured the traditional policy of “non-military engagement”, adopting instead an assertive and security-oriented foreign policy that has paved the way for the securitization of the Syrian conflict in terms of its Kurdish component and of wider geopolitical aspects. This article aims to explore why and in what ways this abrupt shift toward securitization has occurred while discussing its broader implications on Turkish domestic politics as well.

Using the Copenhagen School’s securitization theory, the article will unpack and analyse the internal and external dimensions of threat construction and otherization processes underlying Ankara’s securitization policy toward Syria to make the case for the obsolescence of Turkey’s traditional non-interventionist policy, which, we argue, results from an ontological insecurity approach toward the Syrian conflict. The article finds that Turkey’s securitization policy (i.e. interventionist approach) was chiefly driven by the fear of Kurdish autonomy and the growing Russo-Assad-Iranian alliance in Syria; and by the grand ambition of bringing the Muslim Brotherhood into power in Syria and consolidating Turkey’s agential importance in Western security architecture under the aegis of the US.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.29311/nmes.v8i1.2897
Uncontrolled keywords: Turkish Foreign Policy; Syrian Civil War; AKP; Securitization Theory; Kurdish Issue
Subjects: J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
J Political Science > JZ International relations
Divisions: Central Services > Research and Innovation Services
Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Politics and International Relations
Depositing User: Umut Can Adisonmez
Date Deposited: 31 Jan 2019 14:22 UTC
Last Modified: 04 Mar 2024 16:15 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/72104 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Ad?sönmez, Umut Can.

Creator's ORCID:
CReDIT Contributor Roles:
  • Depositors only (login required):

Total unique views for this document in KAR since July 2020. For more details click on the image.