How did Ahmet Davutoğlu’s ideas affect the shift in Turkish foreign policies? -

Abstract

Turkey has grown to become one of the most important powers in the Middle East in the past decade. After the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to 2002, a new set of foreign policies has been put in place in the country. The architect behind these new policies is the current Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmet Davutoğlu, a former academician and professor in International Relations. The aim of the thesis is to answer this question: How did Davutoğlu’s ideas affect the shift in Turkish foreign policies? The thesis uses Securitization theory is used in order to understand the impact of Davutoğlu’s policies since 2002. Following Davutoğlu’s ideas developed through the years, zero-problems with Turkey’s neighbors, pro-active and multidimensional policies, as well as soft power became the watchwords of the new foreign policy agenda pursued by the AKP. The research concludes that the different policies applied following Davutoğlu’s strategies led to a de facto process of desecuritization. The growing Turkish-Israeli tension has been taken as an example of the shifting focus away from the West. The case study reveals that Turkish-Israeli relations were at their best when Turkey had tense relations with its neighbors. Indeed, at time of tension in Turkey or its neighborhood, securitized foreign policies were pursued by the Turks, leading to increased cooperation between Ankara and Tel Aviv. The application of Davutoğlu’s policies leading to desecuritization triggered growing tensions between Turkey and Israel, since it was based on a securitized vision of foreign policy.