Global Security Briefing What is Driving Turkey's Foreign and Security Policy Agenda?
Mar 25, 2026
Dr Burcu Ozcelik, RUSI senior research fellow on Turkey and the Middle East, offers concise analysis of Turkey's evolving regional role. She discusses Turkey's stabilization-first approach versus classic peacebuilding. She explores Turkey's geoeconomic push via the Middle Corridor, maritime ambitions and Horn presence. She also outlines limits from capacity, domestic politics and complex hedging between Iran, NATO and regional powers.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Turkey Chooses Stabilization Over Classic Peacebuilding
- Turkey favors stabilization over classic Western liberal peacebuilding as a way to manage regional disorder.
- Ankara prioritizes state resilience, security partnerships and incremental sequencing to prevent political vacuums across Syria, Libya and beyond.
Stability Comes Before Democratization In Turkish Strategy
- Ankara sees stabilization as part of a longer horizon aiming for more effective states, not just short-term conflict management.
- Security and stability take precedence over democratization in Turkish calculations shaped by spillover from regional wars.
Identity And Multipolarity Drive Turkey's Geographic Reach
- Turkey expanded its geographical focus due to identity dynamics and multipolar geopolitics, turning cultural ties into pragmatic trade and transport diplomacy.
- Platforms like the Organization of Turkic States and the Middle Corridor drive economic and political outreach into Central Asia.