Turkish Foreign Policy after July 15

Executive Summary

The July 15, 2016 coup attempt was a tipping point for the entire state apparatus in Turkey.1 In that sense, the post-coup process signifies an adjustment to consolidate state power in Turkey. This paper will focus on the effects of the coup on Turkish foreign policy (TFP), which was already in crisis mode even before July 15. Thus, this critical date does not symbolize a rupture but rather an adjustment in TFP in response to ongoing political trends. The dislocation of traditional foreign policy actors, the absence of a unifying foreign policy ethos, an extremely volatile and threatening security environment, and the resultant identity crisis of the Turkish state have pushed the doors wide open for a battle of ideas, which also amounts to competition of alternative geopolitical visions. The complex post-July 15 picture is therefore better understood when analyzing the systemic, political, identity, and security crises in TFP, which have triggered occasional volte-faces to adjust to the complexity and fluidity in the domestic and external environment.