Driving Forces Behind Turkey's Mediation Efforts: Tehran Declaration

Abstract

The main aim of this thesis is to investigate the main motives behind the rising mediation efforts of Turkey as a policy tool of Turkish foreign policy. Mediation and conflict resolution in IR has transformed into an instrument for states to reach foreign policy aims. Particular motivations play influential roles in the efforts of those states that use the mediation as foreign policy tool. The main motives behind mediations can be categorized in three groups: saving national interest, presenting soft power and seeking international prestige as well as humanitarian and moral obligation in foreign policy. In this framework, the focus of this thesis is to understand that whether there is a similarity between the Turkey s main driving forces behind its peace efforts, particularly in Tehran Declaration, and the motivations seeking by profound mediator states.