The role of soft power in Turkey-Syria relations in the recent period

Turkey has been carrying out aid and grant programs in many geographies of the world in recent years. The capaciousness, prevalence and diversity of these activities show that Turkey uses soft power more in foreign policy than in the past. One of the geographies where aid activities are concentrated is Syria. However, it is debatable whether Turkey's activities in Syria, especially towards the regions it controls militarily, can be considered as a soft power application. In this context, this study asks the question of whether Turkey's cultural activities and aids towards the northern region of Syria can be expressed with the concept of soft power, which is frequently used. While answering this question, Turkey's Syria policies, which underwent radical transformations especially in the 2000s, are reviewed, and Turkey's activities in this country are evaluated within this scope. In this study, first of all, the concepts of power, soft power and public diplomacy were examined theoretically. Then, in the light of this theoretical discussion, the public diplomacy activities carried out by Turkey throughout the history of the Republic and the aims of these activities are emphasized. In order to better understand Turkey's Syria policy and its activities in this country, Syria's historical, ethnic and religious structure has been analyzed in detail. The recent Turkish-Syrian relations and the two periods before and after the Arab Spring have been studied by concentrating. Finally, the activities carried out by Turkey in the region after the military operations in the north of Syria were emphasized and it was discussed how these activities pushed the limits of the concept of soft power. Key Words: Power, Hard Power, Soft Power, Turkey-Syria Relations In The Recent Period