Türkiye’nin Erken-Cumhuriyet Dönemi Dış politikası: Bir ‘Uluslararası Toplum’ Yaklaşımı

Abstract

This article presents a theoretical account of Turkish foreign policy in the early Republican Period (1919- 1938). It utilizes the international society approach of the English School theory to explain the main principles of Turkish foreign policy. The theory merges the study of international relations with history and provides a useful framework to analyze transformation of international politics. In the literature, Turkish foreign policy in the early Republican Period has usually been studied in a descriptive manner with reference to Atatürk’s vision. There are a limited number of theoretical studies that integrate IR theories with the study of the history of Turkish foreign policy. This article contributes to this emerging literature. It claims that a significant aim of Ataturk’s foreign policy was to get the new republic recognized as part of the international society to put the country under the ‘protective’ framework of the contemporary standards of international law. Turkey aimed at having peace, getting international recognition, establishing multi-lateral alliances, achieving full-independence and modernization which were closely associated with consolidating Turkey’s position in the European international society. This consolidation was expected to make the new Turkish Republic an equal member of the society. As such, the article claims that Atatürk followed a strategy that would consolidate Turkey’s position in the European international society so that the country is approached on equal-terms on the principles of international law including but not limited to sovereign-equality and non-intervention. The article relies on primary sources and a qualitative analysis of and excerpts from Atatürk’s speeches to crystallize this claim.