Turkey as an emerging middle power?an analysis of Turkish foreign policy during Justice and Development Party (2002-2018)

The very definition of being a middle power state in the discipline of International Relations (IR) is not one on which there is already a consensus. Rather, it is a controversial topic about which there still exist some differences of opinion among IR theorists on the definition of middle powers and the way of their acts in the global politics. For all these disagreements, middle power countries can be classified in two ways: the first are those based on their strength of hard power (or military strength), capabilities, and their geographical and geopolitical positions, and the second are the ones that are based on having a leadership capacity or having the capability to shape events in the politics of world. For the definition of Giovanni Botero, middle power countries are actors having adequate strength and authority to stand on their legs in the absence of any support or need coming from other states. Based on this definition and the first classification of middle powers mentioned above, the aim of this thesis is to mainly attempt to understand Turkey's current role and place as a rising/emerging middle power. In line with this purpose, it collectively discusses the performances and the foreign policy of Turkey under four chapters after the Justice and Development Party (JDP) came to power in 2002, also touching upon the years of Turkey before 2002. Keywords: Turkey, middle power, Justice and Development Party, foreign policy, international relations