A More Active Policy Domestic Incentives of Turkey’s Middle East Policy during second tenure of the Justice and Development Party

Abstract

Turkey pursued a more active foreign policy during the second tenure of the Justice and Development Party between 2007 and 2011. In this period, Turkey increasingly involved itself in issues concerning the Middle East. The Justice and Development Party government tried to increase Turkey’s influence on Middle East politics. The reason for why the government pursued a more active and assertive policy could be found in Turkish domestic political developments. In the second tenure of the government, Turkey’s national capacity increased, and so, the government sought to convert it into influence in the region. Also, the government strengthened its position within the state, thereby be easier to implement foreign policy actions. The paper will elaborate on these developments along with the domestic factors of Turkey’s Middle East policy referring to the auxiliary hypotheses of neoclassical realism.