Foreign policy and identity: Analysis of Kazakh foreignpolicy from constructivist perspective

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the idea of state identity and its function in foreign policy decision-making from a constructivist viewpoint, with a particular focus on the Nazarbayev era (1991-2019). Despite a recent growth in research on Eurasian region, there is still a scarcity of research on state identity in mainstream international relations, foreign policy analysis, and even Central Asia and the Turkic World Studies in the literature. Another aim of this study is to challenge the completely realistic and power-based explanations that dominate the study of the foreign policy of Central Asian countries, especially Kazakhstan, and their interactions on the world political scene after independence. Like many states that emerged as a result of the dissolution of the USSR, Kazakhstan also sought its own position in the world political system. Nazarbayev, the founding and sole leader of Kazakhstan, has led the country to many transformations during the thirty-year ruling period. Nazarbayev's "multi-vector", "multi-dimentional" foreign policy method, which is mentioned with his management style, has been discussed in many ways until today. While some researchers describe the versatility as a policy of not getting stuck between the "bear and the dragon", some groups explain it as a method of gaining opportunities and gains for the development of the country. In addition to these explanations, our study aims not to limit Kazakhstan's foreign policy making process with one-sided explanations and intends to contribute to the subject with a constructivist approach. It has been tried to explain Kazakhstan's foreign policy making processes, the interaction of the country with other actors, and its position in international organizations through the identity and belonging concepts that the constructivist understanding has embedded to the field. Stuck between Russia and China, Kazakhstan has been successful economically and diplomatically in this challenging region for the last 30 years. Kazakhstan preserved its independence throughout this time, flourished economically through the export of natural resources, and established a reputable worldwide name in the field of diplomacy. Nonetheless, Kazakhstan's experience raises a theoretical conundrum. Kazakhstan is a minor power, a country with limited regional clout and worldwide recognition. It has effectively handled relations with Great Power neighbors without becoming a dependent state. This can be described as the positive achievements of the "multi-vector" foreign policy method. In this study, in which identity is discussed as the reasons and factors of this multifaceted foreign policy choice, it is especially examined how identity shapes Nazarbayev's foreign policy choices. The historical background of the country, which constitutes the Fundamentals of national identity, has been briefly reviewed. Then, it examined the identity construction process from the independence of Kazakhstan to the present, and comments on the accepted self and the desired self. Recognizing that more than one factor plays a primary role in a state's foreign policy making, it is argued that a country's national identity, though not entirely decisive, contributes to the setting of its foreign policy objectives and shapes the proposed course or plan of action for foreign policy. Keywords: Kazakhstan, Foreign Policy, Identity Construction