Insight Turkey / issues

Editor's Note | Winter 2025

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 14:28:00 GMT

In this special issue of Insight Turkey, we will focus on Türkiye’s increased activism in international organizations. Through comprehensive examinations, the articles in this issue shed light on Türkiye’s evolving strategies in navigating complex geopolitical landscapes, from its leadership in shaping the governance structures of international institutions to its mediation in conflicts and its active participation in addressing pressing international issues. This collection of works provides a rich perspective on Türkiye’s growing influence as an initiator state, highlighting its capacity to shape and redefine international norms and practices in the pursuit of a more equitable and multilateral global order.

The UN System and Türkiye on Its 80th Anniversary: Quest for Peace through Multilateralism

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 14:39:00 GMT

Since 1945, the United Nations (UN) has played a central role in shaping the global order through its laws, norms, and institutions. As a founding member, Türkiye has consistently engaged with the UN, balancing its commitment to multilateralism with evolving national interests. This study examines Türkiye’s role within the UN system, exploring its historical trajectory, pursuit of legitimacy, and status as an emerging power. While Türkiye remains committed to the UN’s ideals, it also advocates for institutional reforms, as reflected in President Erdoğan’s call that “The World Is Bigger than Five.” Türkiye’s engagement spans the “Three UNs” framework, contributing to the organization’s normative, bureaucratic, and operational dimensions. Despite the challenges, Türkiye continues to see the UN as a crucial platform for multilateral diplomacy and global governance.

The Future of Türkiye-NATO Relations in Light of the Strained Transatlantic Dialogue

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 15:39:00 GMT

This commentary aims to assess the impact of the changing approach of the U.S. under Trump's second administration on transatlantic relations, the future of NATO, its engagement in the war in Ukraine, and the prospects for further expansion toward the east. The paper also aims to shed light on how these developments may affect the future of Türkiye-NATO relations. While Türkiye remains a critical NATO member due to its strategic geography and military capabilities, domestic skepticism towards the Alliance has grown in response to unresolved disputes and perceived double standards. The commentary ultimately underscores that Türkiye’s future in NATO will depend on the Alliance’s ability to reconcile internal divisions, recalibrate its strategic vision, and balance Türkiye’s security concerns with broader transatlantic priorities.

Türkiye and the OIC: Navigating Challenges and Strengthening Alliances

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 16:11:00 GMT

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) represents the collective voice of the Muslim world, uniting 57 member states across four continents to address political, economic, and security challenges. As the second-largest intergovernmental organization after the United Nations, the OIC has sought to promote solidarity, economic development, and conflict resolution among its members. However, institutional constraints, geopolitical divisions, and external pressures have often hindered its effectiveness in global governance. This analysis critically examines the OIC’s role in international politics, highlighting both its achievements and limitations. The study also explores Türkiye’s contributions to the OIC, assessing its leadership role and diplomatic strategies within the organization. By analyzing the OIC’s engagement with global governance frameworks, the paper argues that while the organization remains a crucial platform for Muslim-majority states, its long-term impact will depend on structural reforms, strengthened economic diplomacy, and enhanced cooperation among member states.

The Last Economic Stronghold of the Atlantic Alliance: OECD

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 16:24:00 GMT

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has played a critical role in shaping global economic norms, policies, and regulatory frameworks since its establishment in 1961. The OECD has evolved into a multilateral institution that seeks to promote economic cooperation, trade liberalization, and sustainable development. Over the decades, its membership has expanded to include key economies beyond its original Western-centric base, reflecting its strategic adaptation to shifting geopolitical and economic realities. Türkiye, as a founding member, has actively contributed to the OECD’s agenda, particularly in addressing the Global North-South divide and fostering inclusive international dialogue. This commentary examines the OECD’s role in global governance, analyzing its institutional strengths, limitations, and the strategic engagement of significant countries like Türkiye. The study explores how the OECD navigates contemporary challenges such as digital transformation and artificial intelligence regulation while assessing Türkiye’s positioning within these multilateral policy frameworks.

BRICS and the Challenges of the International System Ahead

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 16:38:00 GMT

The evolving international system is undergoing significant structural transformations, marked by shifting economic power, geopolitical realignments, and challenges to traditional governance mechanisms. As a response to these dynamics, BRICS has emerged as a strategic partnership advocating for a multipolar world order that reflects the interests of the Global South and East. This study examines BRICS' expansion, institutional development, and initiatives in areas such as trade, finance, technological innovation, and climate action. Through its flexible and consensus-driven approach, BRICS has positioned itself as a non-Western framework fostering economic cooperation and sustainable development. The analysis underscores BRICS' role in reshaping international governance structures as well as tackling the increasing fragmentation of global trade, geopolitical instability, and the digital divide.

From Dictatorship to Transition: Syria’s Future in a Changing Middle East

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 16:51:00 GMT

On December 8, 2024 the nearly 60-year-long Baathist dictatorship in Syria, led by the Assad regime, came to an end following a 12-day military operation. As the country undergoes a transformative period where the state system is being rebuilt from the ground up, the post-revolution era has drawn significant attention from regional and international actors. At the forefront of this transition, revolutionary leader and head of the transitional government, Ahmed al-Sharaa, faces numerous economic, security, and socio-political challenges. This commentary aims to provide a perspective on Syria's future by exploring both the optimistic and pessimistic scenarios. Additionally, it examines the country's regional and global significance, focusing on the obstacles ahead, including sanctions. Furthermore, it analyzes Türkiye's role as a key stakeholder in the Syrian crisis, evaluating its national security concerns, economic interests, and political influence from a socio-political standpoint.

Türkiye’s Increased Activism in International Organizations as an Initiator State

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 11:44:00 GMT

Membership in international organizations (IOs) is regarded as a significant indicator of a state’s foreign policy activism. The more organizations a state is a member of, the more active its foreign policy. However, this article contends that mere membership in IOs does not necessarily reflect genuine foreign policy activism. Instead, we introduce and define the concept of the initiator state, which more accurately captures foreign policy activism than the terms member state or founder state. The article then provides a historical mapping of Türkiye’s participation in IOs and identifies three distinct leadership periods that illustrate Türkiye’s evolving role as an initiator state in its international engagements. These periods, namely the Atatürk, Özal, and Erdoğan eras, stand out as years in which Türkiye played an initiator role and pursued a more active foreign policy in the establishment and management of IOs.

Türkiye and the Organization of Turkic States: A Strategic Partnership for Regional Integration

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 13:45:00 GMT

This study explores Türkiye’s role in fostering political, economic, and infrastructural integration among Turkic states, particularly within the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) and through the development of the Turan Corridor. Since the 1990s, Türkiye has strategically engaged with Central Asia and the Caucasus, emphasizing non-coercive diplomacy, cultural ties, and economic collaboration. Unlike external powers such as Russia, China, and the European Union (EU) which often pursue dominance through economic leverage or political influence Türkiye has positioned itself as a trusted partner, prioritizing regional cooperation and connectivity. The paper highlights Türkiye’s leadership in key energy and transport projects, including the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline, the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, reinforcing the Middle Corridor’s strategic importance. Additionally, the study examines the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, which has increased EU engagement in Trans-Caspian connectivity. Through bilateral and multilateral platforms, Türkiye has facilitated deeper integration among Turkic states, advancing a vision of regional autonomy while balancing geopolitical competition between China and the West. The research argues that cultural cooperation is gradually transforming into institutionalized political integration, shaping the future of Turkic unification.

Türkiye-EU Relations: Revisited from Europeanization and CFSP Alignment Perspective

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 14:31:00 GMT

The European Union (EU) is neither a state nor a traditional international organization in the classical sense. It is described as a sui generis international organization. This article first focuses on the EU’s unique structure, with a particular emphasis on the formulation of foreign policy at the EU level and the Europeanization of national foreign policy in the EU member states. In line with this perspective, the article evaluates Türkiye’s EU membership process, the Europeanization of Turkish foreign policy, and its alignment with the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) of the EU from 1999 to the present. Consequently, this article analyzes the impacts of Europeanization, de-Europeanization, and renationalization of Turkish foreign policy in the context of the EU-Türkiye relations.

Pivot to Asia: Examining Türkiye’s Relations with the SCO, AIIB, and ASEAN

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 15:28:00 GMT

The study examines Türkiye’s pivot to Asia by analyzing its interactions with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Through qualitative case analysis, the study explores Türkiye’s relations with these three organizations, focusing on systemic incentives, domestic objectives, and their interconnections. The findings reveal that Türkiye’s engagement with the SCO centers on political and security collaboration. However, full membership remains unattainable due to the SCO’s priorities and Türkiye’s alliance relations, such as NATO. Due to the strong partnership developed with AIIB, Türkiye has obtained significant amounts of financing from AIIB in connection with projects, renewable energy investments, and other issues related to its national agenda. Relations with ASEAN are progressing through sectoral dialogue partnership, aiming to strengthen institutional and economic ties despite limited trade impacts. The study concludes that Türkiye has successfully obtained significant economic benefits from AIIB for infrastructure projects and has enhanced its geopolitical influence by deepening ties with the SCO and ASEAN.

Popular Culture and Mediatic Islamophobias: A Decolonial Reading of Exodus and Bharat Eik Khoj

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 15:58:00 GMT

This paper seeks to evaluate the claims of two very influential movements, Zionism and Hindutva, in the context of Palestine and Kashmir. An objective understanding of the world’s geopolitics allows us to understand the implications of films like Exodus (1960) and programs like Bharat Ek Khoj (1988), which have played a pivotal role in shaping our view of recent history. These two celluloid depictions serve as primary sources for study in this research, whereas other mediatic depictions serve as secondary sources. Building an argument about the growing exploitation of the native populations of these two regions, this work attempts to theorize about the Zionist and Hindutva apologia in contemporary times as an “implonialism”: a phenomenon comprising elements of colonialism, imperialism, despotism, and fascism. I further argue that these chronicles, manifested in the politics of film and narrative media, are post-truths that need to be investigated to understand the implicit Islamophobia in these mediatic encounters and, in so doing, to decolonize our minds. Therefore, engaging with Andrew Shryock’s theorizing in his edited book Islamophobia/Islamophilia: Beyond the Politics of Enemy and Friend (2010) and John L. Esposito and Ibrahim Kalın’s edited book, Islamophobia: The Challenge of Pluralism in the 21st Century (2011), this research is a decolonial reading of Zionist and Hindutva apologia that exhibit Islamophobic/Islamophilic implonialism.

Locked Doors: An Analysis of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Struggles on the Path to European Union Membership

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 16:56:00 GMT

This article explores several challenges that have impeded Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (hereinafter: Bosnia) progress in its pursuit of European Union (EU) membership. It discusses four impediments to the country’s ability to join the EU: (1) the political system (or decision-making process), (2) the country’s societal structure, (3) the quasi-protectorate status, and (4) the Muslim population issue. Due to these impediments, Bosnia is experiencing more difficulties integrating into the EU than countries from previous enlargement waves. Consequently, Bosnia is unable to become a member of the EU at present, and the country has only undergone minimal domestic changes since submitting its application to join the EU in 2016.

The Role of Central Security Forces in Supporting Authoritarian Regimes in Egypt (1969-2011)

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 17:10:00 GMT

The paramilitary forces known as the “Gendarmerie” emerged as a novel mechanism for societal control following the French Revolution. In Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser instituted the Central Security Forces (CSF) in 1969, drawing inspiration from the French Gendarmerie model, in response to mass protests. However, he developed it to suit the security needs in Egypt, where its operation expanded to include both urban and rural areas, not just rural areas as in France and Türkiye. After President Nasser’s unexpected death in 1970, his deputy, Anwar Sadat, assumed power. During his tenure, the CSF underwent two significant developments. After the assassination of former President Sadat in 1981, President Mubarak restructured the CSF and deployed it across Egypt to ensure the regime’s ability to confront any local threats that might endanger it. Nevertheless, the CSF failed to quell the protests of January 2011 and collapsed, which contributed to Mubarak stepping down from his position. This article investigates the role of the CSF in sustaining Egypt’s authoritarian regimes from 1969 until the 2011 uprising. It delves into the key internal and external factors behind the CSF’s formation and evolution while also analyzing the crucial circumstances that affected the forces’ performance during the 2011 revolution.

Evolving Policies of the EU towards Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Changing Actor Identities and Geostrategic Interests

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 17:25:00 GMT

From the 1980s onwards, the EU took a balanced approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the last two decades, the EU has abandoned its role as a normative and neutral player. It appeared to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within the context of security. On this basis, the paper aims to assess changing policies of the EU towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the early 1970s. By revisiting constructivist theories, the study attempts to find out the role of the identities in the EU’s policies toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It concludes that the shift in the identities of the major political actors from the Palestine Liberation Organization to Hamas led to the reformulation of its policy toward Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A Discursive Analysis of Changing Policy of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan towards Türkiye Post-Karabakh War

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 17:50:00 GMT

This study employs Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to examine the transformative impact of the Second Karabakh War on the diplomatic relationships between Türkiye and two pivotal Central Asian nations, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. By analyzing public speeches and official statements from leaders of these countries, this research reveals a significant evolution from formal diplomatic interactions to the recognition of Türkiye as a strategic ally, underlining shared cultural and historical ties. The article highlights Türkiye’s burgeoning role as a regional power, actively shaping political and economic dynamics within the Organization of Turkic States. This shift is particularly evident in Kazakhstan’s narrative transition from an Islamic-centric perspective to one that acknowledges Türkiye’s crucial role in regional geopolitics and cultural partnerships, while Uzbekistan’s discourse moved from cautious interactions to robust partnership, culminating in an elevated relationship to a comprehensive strategic level. This paper not only enriches the literature on Türkiye’s expanding influence in Organization of Turkic States but also provides nuanced insights into the dynamic diplomatic landscapes of Central Asia post-conflict.

BRICS and the Question of Order: Power Shifts, Internal Divisions, and Future Prospects

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 12:36:00 GMT

Is BRICS a cohesive and robust organization capable of shaping an alternative global order, or does it remain a fragmented and informal grouping constrained by structural challenges to internal unity? This issue lies at the heart of recent scholarly debates and is the central focus of three books reviewed in this article: The Role of BRICS in Large-Scale Armed Conflict: Building a Multi-Polar World Order by Malte Brosig, Russia, BRICS, and the Disruption of Global Order by Rachel S. Salzman, and Future of the BRICS and the Role of Russia and China by Junuguru Srinivas.

The Flexible India: Yoga’s Cultural and Political Tensions

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 13:14:00 GMT

The increasing popularity of yoga coincided with India’s efforts to enhance its global economic, political, and cultural recognition. In this way, India, especially under Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rule since 2014, took yoga as an important cultural and religious instrument to promote Hindu nationalist ideas, or Hindutva, which believes India is, in its essence, a Hindu nation, and tried to spread this by media and popular culture and link it to the world stage.

A Brief Global History of the Left

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 13:24:00 GMT

The main aim of the book is to highlight the historical and ideological diversity within leftist terminology, contribute to understanding this diversity, and analyze in depth the challenges facing contemporary leftist movements.

A New Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere and Deliberative Politics

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 13:51:00 GMT

The study analyses the new structural transformation of the public sphere and deliberative politics in the digital age.

Leading the Digital Workforce: IT Leadership Peak Performance and Agility

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 14:41:00 GMT

The role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has substantially improved economies and financial flows and has even cultivated social life. The COVID-19 pandemic has particularly accelerated digitalization, tech-intensive ventures, and automation. Unequivocally, contemporary technologies (including the internet, blockchain, Web 3.0, DAO, and NFTs.) further enhance efficacy in business practices, production, and supply processes and concurrently facilitate the digitalization processes. In the meantime, along with the digitalization trend and digital workforce, the digital transformation of workplaces and the changing nature of workplaces also bring forth new challenges.

Common Immunity: Biopolitics in the Age of the Pandemic

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 14:49:00 GMT

Contrary to some expectations, the book does not investigate the states’ underlying interests during the COVID-19 pandemic, nor does it address conspiracy theories surrounding the outbreak. Instead, the author draws on the history of medicine and science and fundamental principles of philosophy to critically reflect on the emergence of biopolitics as a concept. He takes a retrospective approach to examining its previous definitions and their implications for contemporary policy frameworks.