Turkey's Role During the Russia and Ukraine War

1. Introduction

Turkey has been ruled by AKP (Justice and Development Party) governments since 2002 parliamentary election. Since then, Turkey experienced political and social change. Furtermore, reflected in both soft, ideational and hard power in different region. At the beginning of the office, AKP adopted a political agenda in compliance with EU integration process. During this time, AKP emphasized human rights, economic liberalism and collaboration with neighbors and western allies, especially the USA. This convergence of AKP rule and international society had impact on Turkey’s economic and societal development and make peace both of inner and external political areas. Turkey’s political attitudes and acts within this period reflected a certain national roles such as mediator-integrator role or regional collaborator according to scholars. In this era, AKP’s mentor and foreign policy’s director was Ahmet Davutoğlu and his ideas about political role of Turkey at international and regional scale that positioned Turkey on an unexperienced route that it was before. Then, a series of events took place in the middle east such as Arab Spring and followed by Syrian civil ware. These events and Syrian civil war were assesed as opportunity for Turkish politicians to make real their political desires called as “neo-Ottomanism that combined with Islamism and Nationalism. In that era, Turkey changed its perspective toward more aggressive and interventionist side. In the second decade of AKP rule, understanding the national role concept converted into autonomy and military interventionalism from mediator-integrator pattern or regional leader pattern. The new pattern easily comply with the role of “regional leader” in terms of Holsti’s categorization. The point which this approach brought Turkey, is aloneness in foreign policy and economic degradition within the country. Unfortunately 15 July coup attempt strenghened this approach and Turkey adopted more aggresive attitude in foreign policy to protect its autonomy and security, however, especially after 2020, Turkey realised that its aggressive policy united its political rivals such as Egypt, Greece and Israel at Mediterrean policy whereas this extraordinary political alliance would be able to damage Turkey’s interests at the region. These developments induced a maneuvre changing for Turkish forein policy. Erdoğan and his ministers and diplomats set again the national act type and political attitudes towards their counterparts to mitigate mutual relations and to became a political ally and collaborative actor again.

Russa-Ukraine war gave the an opportunity that Turkey expected. Moreover, Turkey’s recent political position ensured an extra political advantage such as being a bridge between West and Russia due to that the only undispensable political actor has been Turkey which has able to maintain diplomatica conversation all of sides of the conflict. On the other side, it should be added that Turkey has repositioned itself as a mediator role but also Turkey has continued to pursue its national interests. Turkey joined western allies to support sanctions, closed the straits to the Russian vessels, but maintained regular dialog with Putin, sold the military equipments, like game changer drones to the Ukraine, and supported Ukraine territorial integrity and soveriengty, joined in In this study, I aim to examine what political roles Turkey adopted during the Russia-Ukraine war. To achive this aim, I started by examining the Holsti’s role theory. Then I looked into research about Turkey’s national role approach both of pre-AKP rule and post-AKP rule diligently. This endeavour ensured a clear viewpoint for Turkey’s role in terms of Russia-Ukraine war. Lastly I interpreted the roles Turkey adopted during the process. To diligently interpret the process, I looked for political and official statements, academic articles and reports.