Middle Power Engagement in Subregions: Understanding Türkiye’s Foreign Policy Towards Horn of Africa

Yıl 2024, Cilt: 1 Sayı: 1, 32 - 45

İsmail Numan Telci , Nigusu Adem Yımer

Öz

The shifting alignments and realignments, coupled with the divergence of interests, have resulted in a new and complex geopolitical configuration in the greater Horn region. In this evolving political landscape, the foreign policy strategies of non-regional actors, each armed with their own set of tools and fundamentally competing interests, have been thrown into disarray by the region’s changing geopolitical dynamics. Within this fluid and unstable environment, Türkiye, regarded as one of the region's emerging active balancers, is striving to secure its core interests through a range of foreign policy instruments—ranging from soft power to hard power, and from "smart" power to historical legacy. Ankara’s "win-win" foreign policy strategy for the wider Horn region has succeeded in instilling hope among many observers that Turkey will emerge as a true new balancer, capable of addressing Africa’s needs. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how Türkiye employs a combination of hard power, soft power, and smart power instruments to protect its core strategic interests in the changing geopolitical landscape of the greater Horn region. Considering this context, the study aims to explore the evolving geopolitics of the region in relation to Türkiye’s efforts to safeguard its core strategic interests. To address this complex issue, the study employs a qualitative research method and an analytical interpretive approach to examine relevant documents and secondary literature.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Horn of Africa, Geopolitics, Türkiye, Soft Power, Hard Power

Altbölgelerde Orta Güç Angajmanı: Türkiye'nin Afrika Boynuzuna Yönelik Dış Politikasını Anlamak

Öz

The rising experiences of shifting alignment and realignment, together with divergence of interests, have resulted in a new type of complex geopolitical configuration in the greater Horn region. In this new political environment, the foreign policy matrix of non-regional actors, each with their own unique set of foreign policy tools and fundamentally competing interests, was thrown for a loop by the region's changing geopolitical makeup. Within this fluid and unstable geopolitical configuration of the greater Horn region, Türkiye, which is regarded as one of the region's promising active balancers, is grappling to secure its core interests through the use of various foreign policy instruments ranging from soft power to hard power, and from "smart" power to historical legacy. Ankara's win-win foreign policy strategy for the wider Horn region, in particular, has succeeded in instilling hope in many observers that the emerging power (Ankara) will be a real new balancer to meet Africans' needs. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how Türkiye uses hard power, soft power, and smart power instruments to protect its core strategic interests in the changing geopolitical landscape of the greater Horn region. In light of the preceding context, the present study endeavors to address inquiries pertaining to the changing geopolitics of the greater Horn region vis-à-vis the Türkiye’s efforts to secure its core strategic interests in the region. In order to address this perplexing inquiry, qualitative research method together with analytical interpretive approach is employed to examine documents and secondary works of literatures.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Afrika Boynuzu, Jeopolitik, Yumuşak Güç, Sert Güç, Kızıldeniz, Türkiye

Kaynakça

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