Turkey as middle power, weak state: the influence of Turkish Islamist movements in Turkey's Sub-Saharan Africa policy

Thesis

This research critically examines the role of Turkish Islamist movements in shaping Turkish foreign policy towards the Sub-Saharan Africa region during the rule of the Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi - AKP) from its ascent to power in 2002 until the transition to the presidential system in 2018. Turkey's foreign policy in Sub-Saharan Africa is motivated by the quest for new markets to support its emerging economy, the ambition to be a global power, and Turkey’s cultural and religious legacy on the continent. This research demonstrates that the primary drivers behind Turkey's assertiveness on the international stage can be attributed to the activities of Turkish Islamist social movements operating on the ground in regions where Turkey seeks to expand its global presence. Employing a qualitative analysis, this research focuses on two distinct periods: 2002-2013 and 2013-2018. In the first period, the research explores the role of the Gülen movement in shaping Turkish foreign policy in Sub-Saharan Africa until the rupture between the AKP and the Gülen movement. In the second period, it delves into the involvement of other Turkish Islamist movements that filled the void left by the Gülen movement until the presidential transition in 2018. This research initially reviews the evolution of Turkey's state-society dynamics and their consequential effects on foreign policymaking. Subsequently, it examines how Turkey, positioned as a middle power but marked by domestic weaknesses, relies on the activities of Islamist movements in the formulation of its foreign policy in Sub-Saharan Africa between 2002 and 2018.

Authors: Caliskan, E

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-dqvagryb8
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: weak state; Sub-Saharan Africa; Justice and Development Party; Neo-Ottomanism; Turkish foreign policy; middle power; Turkey; Gülen movement; Islam; Turkish Islamist movements; Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; Turkish politics