Palestine issue in the jd party period (2002-2017)

The main subject of this thesis is foreign policy changes and Turkey's stance on the Palestinian issue implemented by AK Party between 2002-2017 years after it came to power. During this period of time, the Palestinian issue has become one of Turkey's main issues and has maintained its position in the international agenda. The changes implemented by Ak party has played a role in making it has a say in the Middle East. Historical, analytical and qualitative methods, which are the sources of political decisions, are used in the thesis. The reason of using these methods is that they are the most suitable methods to explain the AK party's foreign policy against the Palestinian issue, its interaction at the level of foreign policy nature and relations, and its impact on the formation of state identity. The way Turkish foreign policy was applied starting from the Ottoman period to 2002 is important to fully reveal the subject of this thesis, and that is why the Ottoman period was also emphasized in this thesis. Afterwards, the Middle East policy stems from Ak Party's own principles was explained. In addition, the nature of the international system of Turkey's foreign policy, Turkey's relations with USA as a very old ally, and the agreement and disagreement subjects in the Palestinian issue were analyzed. In this thesis, Turkey-EU relations, Turkey-Russia relations, contested and controversial subjects regarding the Palestinian issue, Turkey's role and activities related to Palestine in the eyes of the UN, and its Role in the announcement of the decisions taken in the UN regarding Palestine are explained in detail. In order to explain Turkey-Palestine relations carried out between the years 2002-2017, describing the effects of internal factors that affects political decisions on this relationship such as Turkey's political parties, pressure groups, interests, identity and other internal factors, was determined as one of the objectives of this thesis. Also, attacks on Gaza in 2008, Turkey's supports to the Palestinian people and its condemnation and tough stance against Israel are objectively described in accordance with the purpose of the thesis. Turkey has came across many obstacles regarding the Palestinian issue, and played an important role in this issue. Liquidation attempts between Israel and Palestine and Turkey's role, the important issues of the conflict such as Palestinian state and borders of 1967, the right of refugees to return, the situation of Jerusalem and sacred places are also explained in an unbiased manner. Turkey's attitude against the Israeli attacks on the Palestinian people (2008, 2012 and 2014 attacks) was analyzed across both regional and international arena. Also Turkey's assistance to Palestine in all fields has been described. Turkey has an important role in the internal Palestinian division. Within this role, it has been and still a mediator between the Palestinian government and Hamas to ensure peace and lasting stability. Briefly, the subject of how the Palestinian issue affected and changed Turkey-Israel relations, from the establishment of Israel until the AK Party came to power, in the past period and especially in the AK Party's period, has been described in the literature in a complete and objective manner. Therefore, the subject is explained in detail in this thesis, and recommendations are made for the academic studies to be carried out from now on.