Türkiye's security policies and adaptation to a multipolar world: The balance between Russia, China and NATO

This study examines Türkiye's strategic orientation in response to the evolving security dynamics of a multipolar international order, with a particular focus on its relations with NATO, Russia, and China. The primary aim of the research is to analyze Türkiye's transition from a traditional alliance system to more flexible and multidimensional security strategies, and to comparatively evaluate the discourse, implementation, and regional implications of its pursuit of strategic autonomy. This study investigates how Türkiye diversifies its security policies within the multipolar international system and how it structures its quest for strategic autonomy. While maintaining its traditional alliance with NATO, Türkiye's growing cooperation with alternative global actors such as Russia and China is addressed as an indicator of a multilayered foreign policy model. The shifts in Türkiye's security strategies in the face of changing global power balances offer a framework for understanding the transformation of classical alliance structures and the emergence of new foreign policy orientations shaped by relations with non-Western actors. The study adopts a comparative analysis method to evaluate the adaptation of Türkiye's security policies to the multipolar world order within the context of the balance between Russia, China, and NATO.The findings reveal that Türkiye maintains a critically engaged stance in its relations with NATO, pursues a pragmatic balancing policy with Russia, and adopts a cautious strategy focused on economic partnership with China. The study concludes that Türkiye is increasingly seeking strategic autonomy in its security policy and is therefore developing a flexible and multidimensional approach in its foreign policy discourse in alignment with the realities of multipolarity. This trend not only reflects the transformation of traditional alliance structures but also serves as a significant example for understanding Türkiye's efforts to reposition itself within the global balance of power.