Yunus Emre Ozigci, "NATO’s Meaning and Existence: Within the Interstate Intersubjectivity" (Vernon Press, 2026)

Jan 21, 2026

Yunus Emre Ozigci, a political scientist and seasoned Turkish diplomat, discusses NATO as a shared, intersubjective formation. He explores phenomenology applied to alliances. Conversations cover NATO’s identity crisis, member convergence versus leadership, and how philosophical lenses reshape our view of security and multipolar change.

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INSIGHT

NATO As An Intersubjective Reality

NATO should be studied as an intersubjective phenomenon that appears through collective recognition, not as an objective thing.
Yunus Emre Ozigci argues this pre-theoretical givenness anchors subsequent theories and avoids ontological distortion.

INSIGHT

Marrying Husserl And Heidegger

Combining Husserl and Heidegger corrects fragmentation in intersubjectivity and grounds temporality and intentionality within being-in-the-world.
Ozigci adapts both thinkers to study states as limited, subject-like entities in IR.

INSIGHT

Authenticity Underpins NATO's Existence

NATO's meaningful existence depends on member-states' authentic convergence around a common thesis of norms and values.
If states self-distance or fail to defend that thesis, NATO risks becoming a purely ad hoc alliance.

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NATO’s Meaning and Existence: Within the Interstate Intersubjectivity (Vernon Press, 2026) a forthcoming 2026 book by Yunus Emre Ozigci, offers a deep analysis of NATO's identity and role, suggesting it's stuck in bureaucratic inertia despite modern crises, aiming to redefine its purpose through exploring shared identity and transformation, particularly in the context of Russia's actions. This scholarly work uses intersubjectivity to understand how NATO's internal dynamics and external relations, especially concerning the Ukraine conflict, shape its meaning beyond mere military power, potentially moving beyond traditional IR theories to explore collective identity and systemic challenges.

In NATO’s Meaning and Existence: Within the Interstate Intersubjectivity (2026), Ozigci treats NATO as an intersubjective phenomenon rather than an objective entity. To him, NATO “does not exist objectively” but rather appears “meaningfully through intersubjective recognition.” His skillful integration of philosophical innovations from such thinkers as Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, and Jean-Paul Sartre supports his deep insights into Kenneth Waltz's structural interpretations of the balance of power, John Mearsheimer’s offensive realism, and Robert Keohane's complex interdependence and invites readers to reconsider how alliances exist beyond the surface of policy and power. This work reminds us that NATO’s real strength does not necessarily come from being the most efficient military structure in the world, promoting those who excel at following orders, but rather from its ingenuity, resourcefulness, and unity of purpose. His study provides a rare synthesis of diplomatic experience and philosophical depth, inviting readers to reconsider how alliances exist beyond the surface of policy and power. This is an original, meticulously argued, and intellectually stimulating contribution to both NATO studies and the philosophy of international relations.

Piotr Pietrzak, Ph.D. -- In Statu Nascendi Think Tank

Yunus Emre Ozigci holds a PhD degree in Political Sciences from the Université catholique de Louvain. He graduated from the Galatasaray University (International relations) and completed his MA studies at the University of Ankara (International relations). His research interests and publications cover the IR theory and phenomenology. Since 2000, he has been working as a diplomat in the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and served, besides various departments of the Ministry, in Algeria, Belgium, Switzerland and Russia. Currently, he is the First Counsellor of the Turkish Embassy in Nairobi and Deputy Permanent Representative to UNON (UNEP and UN-Habitat). ORCID: 0000-0003-3388-7149

Please note: This publication is a personal work. It does not reflect the official views of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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