Research Article

De-Europeanization of Turkish Foreign Policy in the Multi-Polar World

Number: 41 February 10, 2026
TR EN

De-Europeanization of Turkish Foreign Policy in the Multi-Polar World

Abstract

From the Helsinki Summit of 1999, which granted Türkiye candidate status, until the outbreak of the Arab Spring, Türkiye implemented the process of Europeanization, albeit with ups and downs. However, with the eruption of the Arab Spring, Türkiye not only rapidly distanced itself from the EU process but also began to roll back the reforms and principles that had been realized within this framework. In this context, the aim of this study is to analyze the dimensions of Turkish foreign policy’s departure from the Europeanization process—also conceptualized as the diminishing role of the EU’s foreign policy norms and principles as reference points—by drawing on the theoretical framework proposed by Müller, Pomorska, and Tonra (2021). By methodologically examining the foreign policy discourses and preferences of the actors responsible for Turkish foreign policy-making, the study finds that Türkiye’s disengagement from the EU process in foreign policy unfolds along three main dimensions: (a) the redefinition of national roles, (b) disengagement from the EU’s norms and principles, and (c) distancing from the EU’s institutional structures.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

European Union

Project Number

101176698 (REVİTEU)

Ethical Statement

This research is co-founded by the EU under the Jean Monnet Module on the Revitalization of European Integration: Policies and Actorness under the Process of De-Europeanization

References

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  2. Alpan, B. Z., & Öztürk, A. E. (2022b). Turkish foreign policy in the Balkans amidst ‘soft power’ and ‘de-Europeanisation’. Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, 22(1), 45–63. https://doi.org/10.1080/14683857.2022.2034370
  3. Atmaca, A. Ö., & Torun, Z. (2022). Geopolitical visions in Turkish foreign policy. South European Society and Politics, 24(1), 114–137. https://doi.org/10.1080/19448953.2021.1992189
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  6. Balcı, A. (2019). Three levels of analysis of Türkiye’s crisis with the US-led order. Insight Türkiye, 21(4), 4–5. Copeland, P. (2016). Europeanization and de-Europeanization in the UK employment policy. Public Administration, 94(4), 1124–1139.
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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

European Union, European Union-Turkiye Relations

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

February 10, 2026

Submission Date

March 12, 2025

Acceptance Date

September 10, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: 41

APA
Yariş, Z. B. (2026). De-Europeanization of Turkish Foreign Policy in the Multi-Polar World. Dicle Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 41. https://doi.org/10.15182/diclesosbed.1655973
AMA
1.Yariş ZB. De-Europeanization of Turkish Foreign Policy in the Multi-Polar World. Dicle Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi. 2026;(41). doi:10.15182/diclesosbed.1655973
Chicago
Yariş, Zelal Başak. 2026. “De-Europeanization of Turkish Foreign Policy in the Multi-Polar World”. Dicle Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, nos. 41. https://doi.org/10.15182/diclesosbed.1655973.
EndNote
Yariş ZB (February 1, 2026) De-Europeanization of Turkish Foreign Policy in the Multi-Polar World. Dicle Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi 41
IEEE
[1]Z. B. Yariş, “De-Europeanization of Turkish Foreign Policy in the Multi-Polar World”, Dicle Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, no. 41, Feb. 2026, doi: 10.15182/diclesosbed.1655973.
ISNAD
Yariş, Zelal Başak. “De-Europeanization of Turkish Foreign Policy in the Multi-Polar World”. Dicle Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi. 41 (February 1, 2026). https://doi.org/10.15182/diclesosbed.1655973.
JAMA
1.Yariş ZB. De-Europeanization of Turkish Foreign Policy in the Multi-Polar World. Dicle Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi. 2026. doi:10.15182/diclesosbed.1655973.
MLA
Yariş, Zelal Başak. “De-Europeanization of Turkish Foreign Policy in the Multi-Polar World”. Dicle Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, no. 41, Feb. 2026, doi:10.15182/diclesosbed.1655973.
Vancouver
1.Zelal Başak Yariş. De-Europeanization of Turkish Foreign Policy in the Multi-Polar World. Dicle Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi. 2026 Feb. 1;(41). doi:10.15182/diclesosbed.1655973

Dicle University
Journal of Social Sciences Institute (DUSBED)