Mediation as politics: How nations leverage peace engagements?

The author argues that mediation is not merely a tool for conflict resolution but a strategic foreign policy instrument that allows middle powers to create 'extra political power space'. By engaging in mediation, these states can build stronger Best Alternatives to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA), create issue linkages for 'logrolling' with senior allies, and establish network ties. The paper illustrates this through an analysis of Turkey's mediation efforts under the AK Party government between 2002 and 2011, suggesting that Turkey leveraged its role as a peace broker to secure alliance benefits from the US and consolidate domestic political power.

• Mediation serves as a foreign policy strategy for middle powers to create an additional space of political power that is not otherwise available, which can then be used to influence domestic and international relations.
• Middle powers can generate political leverage through three primary mechanisms: building strong BATNAs (Best Alternatives to a Negotiated Agreement) for competitive advantage, creating issue linkages for cooperative 'logrolling', and establishing links to network partners to act as brokers.
• In the context of alliance politics, independent mediation initiatives that do not align with a superpower's interests can help a junior partner build a strong BATNA to extract concessions from its partner.
• Conversely, mediation that complements a senior partner's interests can be used as a cooperative strategy to secure existing financial and political support or to enhance trust and commitment.
• Between 2002 and 2011, Turkey's mediation activities increased, with third-party roles rising from 8% of foreign policy actions (2002-2007) to 14% (2007-2011), primarily focused in the Middle East, Balkans, Africa, and the Caucasus.
• The AK Party government used its role as a peace broker to complement US interests in Muslim geographies, which in turn helped Turkey secure US support for EU membership negotiations, the resolution of the Cyprus issue, and financial matters, contributing to an average annual economic growth rate of 7.5% between 2002 and 2011.
• Turkey's mediation efforts involving Iran, Brazil, and the EU served to establish it as a critical link between the West and Iran, enhancing its relations with Trans-Atlantic partners.

APA

Beriker, N. (n.d.). Mediation as politics: How nations leverage peace engagements? Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/d8c0bfa7-b59e-4141-8884-61be0dc3d1d3/Mediation as Politics How Nations Leverage Peace Engagements Pre-print.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Beriker, Nimet. Mediation as politics: How nations leverage peace engagements? Peace Research Institute Oslo, n.d. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/d8c0bfa7-b59e-4141-8884-61be0dc3d1d3/Mediation as Politics How Nations Leverage Peace Engagements Pre-print.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Beriker |first1=Nimet |title=Mediation as politics: How nations leverage peace engagements? |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/d8c0bfa7-b59e-4141-8884-61be0dc3d1d3/Mediation as Politics How Nations Leverage Peace Engagements Pre-print.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{berikerndmediation, author = {Beriker, Nimet}, title = {{Mediation as politics: How nations leverage peace engagements?}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/d8c0bfa7-b59e-4141-8884-61be0dc3d1d3/Mediation as Politics How Nations Leverage Peace Engagements Pre-print.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }