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Source: Getty

In The Media
Carnegie Europe

A Transformed Turkey: What is the Role for Ankara as a Regional Power?

Over the course of a decade, Turkey has transformed itself from a status quo-oriented, peripheral member of NATO to an emerging power with an ambition to shape regional power dynamics.

Link Copied
By Sinan Ülgen
Published on Jan 3, 2013

Source: SAIS Review

Abstract

Over the course of a decade, Turkey has transformed itself from a status quo-oriented, peripheral member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to an emerging power with an ambition to shape regional power dynamics. This transformation was accomplished in two phases. In the first phase, backed by its impressive economic performance, Turkey emerged as an influential regional actor, prioritizing its soft power. The second, ongoing phase was prompted by the Arab Spring and Turkey’s need to respond to these changes. This paper examines the drivers of both transformation phases and evaluates the consequences for Turkey’s relations with its neighbors.

This article was originally published in SAIS Review, Vol. 32, No. 2, Summer-Fall 2012.

About the Author

Sinan Ülgen

Senior Fellow, Carnegie Europe

Sinan Ülgen is a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe in Brussels, where his research focuses on Turkish foreign policy, transatlantic relations, international trade, economic security, and digital policy.

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Sinan Ülgen
Senior Fellow, Carnegie Europe
Sinan Ülgen
SecurityPolitical ReformEconomyMiddle EastEuropeTürkiyeLevant

Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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