Turkey’s approach to the Arab spring revisited: political field and foreign policy in the AKP era

D’Alema, Francesco

Abstract

Drawing from Pierre Bourdieu’s field theory, this article sheds light on the relationship between the AKP’s foreign policy toward the Middle East and its twenty-year rule in Turkey. It argues that Turkish foreign policy can be understood by looking at the evolving strategies adopted by AKP in the political field. In the early 2010s, the AKP emphasized conservative social values, neo-liberal reformism, and support for the Arab Spring to accumulate political capital. However, as the expected regional change did not materialize, and as domestic legitimacy eroded, the party has resorted to an increasingly nationalist discourse to preserve its dominant position.

Citation

D’Alema, F. (2024). Turkey’s approach to the Arab spring revisited: political field and foreign policy in the AKP era. Turkish Studies, 25(5), 806-834. https://doi.org/10.1080/14683849.2024.2365849

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 13, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Jun 13, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024
• Deposit Date: Jul 23, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 23, 2024
• Journal: Turkish Studies
• Print ISSN: 1468-3849
• Electronic ISSN: 1743-9663
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 25
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 806-834
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14683849.2024.2365849
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2611177