Open AccessTurkey at the Dawn of the 2020s: Old Challenges and New Prospects
Author(s) -
Gregory Papanikos
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
athens journal of mediterranean studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2407-9480
DOI - 10.30958/ajms.7-4-2
Subject(s) - independence (probability theory) , compromise , political science , political economy , population , politics , adversary , rhetoric , development economics , power (physics) , foreign policy , economics , law , sociology , linguistics , statistics , philosophy , demography , mathematics , physics , quantum mechanics
Turkey is a great power as this is measured by its population and economy. The question is whether she is so great that she can play a decisive and, in many cases, antagonistic if not adversary role vis-a-vis her allies of the so-called western world. Apart from the rhetoric of the current Turkish leadership, her role is restricted by her commitment to international organization such as NATO when it comes to politico-military independence and European Union when it comes to politico-economic independence. It seems that Turkey has no other political and economic choice but to align her international ambitions with the priorities of its traditional allies of the western world even if this would require some sort of compromise. This would result from either her “free choice,” or would be forced upon her by the use of soft and hard policies. The latter might include the threat of military action. Keywords: Turkey, Middle East, great power competition, population, per capita income