Erdoğan’s Asian Turkey: domestic authoritarianism or the requirements of the international transitional order

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ABSTRACT This article examines the dimensions and rationale for Turkey’s focus on Asia during the Erdoğan era. It argues that Turkey’s shift toward Asia is influenced by two key motivations: the emergence of Asia in the transitional international order and the success of Asian political and economic governance models as a development paradigm. The research findings indicate that Asia’s rise as a power axis in the global order attracts Turkey, a middle power, for its own security and economic interests. Additionally, the success of Asian models of economic and political governance in the development path encourages the ruling AKP in Turkey to strengthen its domestic power by aligning with these models, thus moving toward structural and value-based ties with Asia. Furthermore, by representing Asia as an alternative for modernization and good governance in the contemporary world, Turkey seeks to engage in the reproduction of its Asian identity.