Political and Economic Typologies of Statecraft: Locating Turkish Foreign Policy under the AKP

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Göksel O.

Florya Chronicles of Political Economy, cilt.12, sa.2, ss.77-118, 2026 (Hakemli Dergi)

Özet

This article aims to contribute to the literatures on Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA), International Relations (IR), and Turkish Foreign Policy (TFP) by putting forward a comprehensive understanding of statecraft and foreign policy behaviour. Using the case of Turkey under the rule of the AKP (Justice and Development Party), the study evaluates the applicability of various commonly used state typologies—including the “trading state”, “illiberal state”, “Machiavellian state”, “garrison state”, “developmental state”, “civilizational state”, “middle power” and several others—within the context of Turkish foreign policy. By situating contemporary Turkey within this framework, the article offers an analysis of how global balance of power, internal political dynamics (e.g. party ideology) and economic strategies shape Turkey’s foreign relations. In addition, the study explores the broader relevance of these typologies for understanding the foreign policy-making processes of other countries across the globe. Through this typological analysis, the article seeks to provide a versatile tool for scholars and practitioners in FPA and IR, offering insights into the nature of state behaviour. This work seeks to lay the foundation for further research that could apply this framework to a global range of case studies and help explain shifting foreign policies in a time of changing dynamics in the early 21st century.