Westernism in Turkish Foreign Policy: From Empire to the Republic

Abstract

In this study, Turkey’s Westernism journey has been analysed and the constructed political terminology in accordance with the leader-ideology combinations and despite its modificated definitions and implementations within that constructed terminology the invariable Westernism element of Turkish Foreign Policy have been examined. The main purpose of this thesis is to present through examples from domestic and foreign political events that even under different regimes and leaderships, because of its culture, geography and historical legitimacy, though being unable to head another direction than the West, Turkey always had to follow multidimensional policies to conserve its political strength before the West. In addition, while analysing Westernism, besides it being one of the elements of Foreign Policy in Turkey; the reflection of the differences of Westernist perceptions on the policy implementations, sourced from the leaders and the conjuncture, has been investigated.