TY - JOUR T1 - The Impact of Self-Orientalism on Türkiye’s Foreign Policy Towards the Middle East TT - The Impact of Self-Orientalism on Türkiye’s Foreign Policy Towards the Middle East AU - Karataş, İbrahim PY - 2025 DA - September Y2 - 2025 DO - 10.21600/ijoks.1749306 JF - International Journal of Kurdish Studies JO - Kurdish Studies PB - Hasan KARACAN WT - DergiPark SN - 2149-2751 SP - 665 EP - 682 VL - 11 IS - 2 LA - en AB - This study aims to reveal how self-Orientalism affects relations between states in the Middle East by analyzing Türkiye-Middle East relations. It argues that Türkiye’s foreign policy towards the Middle East has mainly been based on self-Orientalist views of the founding elites of the country, the impact of which will likely continue into the future. There has been hostility between those who preferred a holistic self-Orientalism and those that supported a technological-only version. While the latter is not Occidentalist, it argues that relations with the Arab-Muslim world can be improved without being anti-West. The other side, complete self-Orientalists, see Middle Eastern culture as backward, thereby alienating themselves from the region. Moreover, efforts to be an EU member have complicated debates about self-Orientalism as Türkiye could be considered to be part of the Occident. Available literature is systematically reviewed. KW - Middle East KW - Turkish Foreign Policy KW - Orientalism KW - Self-Orientalism KW - Arab World KW - Occidentalism N2 - This study aims to reveal how self-Orientalism affects relations between states in the Middle East by analyzing Türkiye-Middle East relations. It argues that Türkiye’s foreign policy towards the Middle East has mainly been based on self-Orientalist views of the founding elites of the country, the impact of which will likely continue into the future. 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