The impact of the Belt and Road Initiative on Türkiye-China relations

Proposed in 2013 by Xi Jinping, the "Belt and Road Initiative" provides comprehensive evidence of China's growing economic influence in the changing global political landscape. Taken as a foreign policy approach, this initiative is also changing China's traditional position in the international system. China's new foreign policy and its growing Eurasian and European relations reveal China's process of change and transformation. The direction of relations between the Republic of Türkiye and the People's Republic of China will be determined by the steps to be taken in the development of bilateral relations. In this context, while the Belt and Road Initiative harbors many opportunities and risks, it will also contribute to positive change in Türkiye-China relations. While analyzing the interconnectedness between Türkiye's Middle Corridor Initiative and China's Belt and Road Initiative, the effects of the changes in the international system on bilateral relations this thesis will analyze. It is assessed that the investments envisaged to materialize on the land and sea routes will offer opportunities for the development of the both countries. At the same time, it is thought that the initiative will also reveal some risks with regard to the countries of the region and the world. This study will analyze the developing foreign policy and possible foreign policy scenarios between the Republic of Türkiye and the People's Republic of China with the Belt and Road Initiative and endeavour to fill the gaps in existing international relations literature on the topic. The study will focus on the hypothesis that the initiative will improve relations between the two countries. This study will be conducted based on a case study design of qualitative research methods and data will be obtained by the document analysis method.