An historical analysis of Turkish foreign policy toward the Asia Pacific during the reign of The Justice and Development Party's government

This thesis focuses on the historical analysis of Turkey's relations with three actors in the Asia Pacific as China, Japan, and ASEAN. From the Turkish perspective, the country considers the Asia Pacific in a state of rising. The three actors were explicitly chosen because China and Japan are considered non-western rising powers, and both countries have established a strategic partnership with Turkey. Meanwhile, ASEAN is one of the most critical non-western organizations in the region, in which Turkey has also established a strategic partnership with three of the ASEAN's member states such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. This thesis argues that Turkish foreign policy towards the Asia Pacific within the reign of the AKP government has undergone several transformations compared to its previous government. This thesis demonstrates that Turkey's engagement towards the region is highly motivated by economic motivation, allowed by the systemic changes at the international level and the transformations that occurred domestically.