From good neighbor to model: Turkey's changing roles in the Middle East in the aftermath of the Arab Spring
Author
Özdamar, Ö.
Halistoprak, B. T.
Sula, İ. E.
Date
2014Source Title
International Relations
Print ISSN
1304-7310
Publisher
International Relations Council of Turkey (UİK)
Volume
11
Issue
42
Pages
93 - 113
Language
English
Type
ArticleItem Usage Stats
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Abstract
The recent Arab uprisings have forced many actors to reconsider their positions regarding
Middle Eastern politics. Role theory provides a viable tool to explain changes in actors’ foreign
policy behaviors, presuming that states’ foreign policies are shaped by the ruling elites’ foreign
policy role conceptions. This article analyzes Turkish foreign policy roles with regard to the
Middle East and North Africa before and since the Arab uprisings that began in December
2010. We argue that these uprisings caused Turkey to change its emphasis from roles built
on soft power instruments to harder roles requiring material capabilities. We also discuss the
implications of this change with reference to theories of international politics.