Turkish foreign policy in the Mashriq : the case of Syria

Abstract

This dissertation seeks to identify the contemporary nature of Turkish foreign policy characteristics within the Mashriq, on the dynamics of its various interactions with the states actors in the region. The focus is on the emergence of Turkey as a secular and Muslim-majority democratic state actor within the region that has developed a foreign policy dimension concerning economic, political and security interests which drive the state to adopt a systematic foreign policy mechanism vis-a-vis the Mashriq region that satisfies such interests. This dissertation reviews the elements of Turkish foreign policy in the Mashriq region in terms of the pronouncements and statements of the realist perspective within International Relations which views the state as a principal actor in International Relations whereby the fulfilment of the state interests is seen as a main foreign policy objective for the state; the theoretical approaches to foreign policy making and the neo-mercantilist perspective of International Political Economy that explores how economic desires drive national interests. The research further demonstrates how Turkish foreign policy in the Mashriq region takes a multi-tier dimension, exploring the case of Turkish relations vis-a-vis Syria as a single case study. Turkey is primarily interested in enhancing commercial agreements and trade in a bid to further consolidate its economic growth and financial standing. On the second tier, Turkey's external behaviour in the Mashriq has also been intimately linked with its domestic security and political concerns and has shaped its patterns of interaction along its eastern borders in order to contain the PKK militants which continue to pose a threat to the security of Turkey. Thirdly, Turkish foreign policy towards the Mashriq has been directed towards initiating a role of regional presence and instituting stability as Turkey sought to shift its foreign policy strategy from holding differences with its neighbours to initiate a process of rapprochement, mend its differences and focus on a 'Zero problem' raison d'etre to establish a terra finna by which it could shift its foreign policy resources towards more constructive bilateral and regional policy-building measures such as fostering security cooperation and economic growth. Despite a great deal of research on the Turkish foreign policy characteristics towards the Mashriq, there is still a striking lack of literature, which explores in detail what are the major trends, motivations, and what challenges underpin the patterns of Turkish foreign policy within the region. Furthermore there has been little in-depth focus within literature on the foreign policy tools that Turkey has utilized to deal with the region. The case of Turkish relations with Syria addressed in this study serves to shed light on how Turkish foreign policy interests are ultimately driven by a fusion of economic and political motivations and exhibits an indication of the changing nature of Turkish projections towards the region, as whilst previously its relations with Syria were based on a number of differences between the two countries Turkey has sought tot build a relationship with Syria based on fostering security and economic growth. Information on the current Turkish external mechanism reveals how Turkey is committed to a strategic in-depth doctrine that has been referred to as 'Zero problems' in contemporaneous literature. Consequently, this has enabled Turkey to establish a regional profile, advocating for stability and a common shared area of prosperity within the Mashriq region. This Turkish stance would become more evident with the challenges posed by the situation in Syria as Turkey would lead international calls for action against al-Assad's regime in a bid to foster stability once again in the region; thus highlighting how stability is an important goal to achieve within Turkish foreign policy as it is intimately tied with the other goals for the region; that of fostering security, political involvement and economic growth for Turkey.