Militarization of Turkish Foreign Policy? : Revisiting the Contours of Hard Power

This book critically examines Turkey’s shift towards a more coercive and hard power-driven foreign policy over the past decade. It explores how Ankara’s assertive orientation has reshaped its regional policies, with militarized international disputes and the pursuit of strategic autonomy becoming defining features. The contributors delve into the theoretical underpinnings of this transformation while offering empirically grounded analyses of its practical manifestations. Key areas of focus include the evolution of Turkey’s defense industry, the international engagements of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), the transformation of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), changes within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, counter-terrorism strategies, and energy policies.

This volume is ideal for scholars, researchers, and students in the fields of international relations, political science, Middle Eastern studies, and security studies. It will also appeal to policymakers and practitioners interested in understanding Turkey’s evolving foreign policy and its implications for regional and global dynamics.

The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue in Southeast European and Black Sea Studies.

Şaban Kardaş is a Research Professor and Program Coordinator at the Gulf Studies Center at the College of Arts and Sciences at Qatar University, Qatar.