Turkey's use of military force in Syria (2011-2020)

Türkiye is a state that does not hesitate to resort to military power based on the definition of national needs. Turkey's use of military power in its foreign policy is determined by the perceived threat and opportunity factors. When Türkiye has a threat-based foreign policy and security perception, it is more prone to unilateral use of military power. When it is driven by an opportunity-based foreign policy and security perception, Türkiye tends to use military power with its allies. Türkiye's use of military power in Syria is one of the best examples of how the use of military power is affected by which factors and in which ways. The Syrian ground provides examples of Türkiye's indirect and direct use of military power together. Türkiye has never acted without alliances in Syria; it has taken important steps in its Syria policy with its allies according to the structural environment of the international system. In the 2011-2016 period, it was allied with the West and Gulf states, followed by an alliance with Russia in the 2016-2020 period, and in the end of 2019 it sought an alliance against Russia. Turkey's opportunity-based foreign policy approach to the developments in Syria that started in 2011 can be explained by the Balance of Interest Theory. In the Syrian arena, which underwent structural change due to systemic pressure, Turkey calculated to adapt to the changing conditions and turned to indirect use of military power with allies. Turkey's threat-based foreign policy approach to the developments starting from 2016 and lasting until the beginin of 2020 can be explained by the Balance of Threat Theory. During this period, national security concerns arising from Syrian territory peaked and Türkiye resorted to direct military power. Türkiye had to put aside its preference to make the best use of the opportunity environment of the period when the possibility of a change of regime in Syria was strong. Instead, it turned to balancing the dominant threat posed by the development and consequences of the US-PKK partnership. The other threat that Türkiye has sought to balance is the mass migration wave triggered by Russia in Idlib. Türkiye focused on the most threatening power and sought alliances against it, and when it was able to find such alliances, it resorted to the unilateral direct use of military power and achieved some results.