The influence of the economic interest groups in Turkish foreign policy during the JDP government period (2002-2011) : the cases of TÜSİAD and MÜSİAD

Abstract

This thesis analyzes the influence of the economic interest groups in Turkish foreign policy during the two Justice and Development Party (JDP) governments with a special focus on the role of TÜSİAD and MÜSİAD. The foreign policy of the JDP government is analyzed by looking at foreign policy developments during the JDP governments and the changes and continuities in Turkish foreign policy. To evaluate TÜSİAD and MÜSİAD’s influence on the JDP’s foreign policy further general characteristics of TÜSİAD and MÜSİAD and their export orientations are discussed. Consequently, the relationship between the JDP government foreign policy preferences and TÜSİAD’s and MÜSİAD’s foreign policy preferences are analyzed in light of the neo-Gramscian approach. The argument here is that MÜSİAD with its ties with the JDP government based on identity and material interests is a new ‘hegemonic project’ and under the dominance of global neo-liberal capitalist order MÜSİAD and the JDP seems to form a new ‘historical bloc’ at domestic level.