Comparative analyses of 1923-39 Turkish, 1918-41 Japanese foreign policies

A country's basic determinants of foreign policy are its place in international diplomacy, cooperation with the other nations, its military concenrs with its surroundings, the public opinion towards existing policies and how they shape future policy making.Atatürk adopted a foreign policy to build a new nation state of Turkey to face the efforts of big powers to establish a new system following the end of World War I. In the period between the two great wars of the century, the Turkish Republic did not only try to solve the problems from the Lausanne Peace Treaty but also placed great effort to become a modern country. In this particular era, Turkish foreign policy was based on the ideology of Mustafa Kemal ?Peace at home, peace in the world?. Despite being a new founded state, Turkey played a great role for forming new cooperations with its neighbour countries. As a member of the League of Nations, Turkey adopted war preventive measures even if it was against its gradual economic development.While Turkey was struggling to solve its problems and trying to be a part of the international system, on the Eastern front of the Asian continent, imperial Japan was working to extend its territory. After testing its own military power in World War I, Japan was ready to challenge the United States of America for the control and leadership in Asia. By adopting the slogan of ?Asia for Asians?, Japan wanted to to take the place of Western Powers in Asia. With this purpose, Japan started to invade the Asian continent without any declaration of war. The building of the Great Japanese Empire continued to spark more conflicts in Asia until Japan's surrender at the end of the World War II.Japan and Turkey developed highly different foreign policies within the same era of the 20th century. While Turkey was constructing a new national state and struggling for being recognised in the international arena after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Japan worked to become an Imperial power and invaded Asian countries like other Western powers.