The AKPs foreign policy challenges after the Arab Spring

The report examines the transition of Turkish foreign policy under the AKP from a non-interventionist stance to a pro-active 'zero problems with neighbours' approach. It argues that the Arab Spring, particularly the civil war in Syria, has forced a return to more pragmatic and security-oriented policies. A central theme is the 'existential fear of Kurdish separatism,' as autonomy in northern Iraq and Syria threatens Turkey's internal stability and reignites conflict with the PKK. While Turkey has achieved economic growth and a 'middle power' status, its soft power is undermined by domestic democratic deficiencies and the imprisonment of journalists and political opponents.

• The AKP shifted Turkey's foreign policy from a traditional focus on Western acceptance to a vision where Turkey is both "in the region" and "of the region," utilizing a "zero problems with neighbours" policy based on soft power and strategic depth.
• The Arab Spring created a tension between Turkey's regional leadership ambitions and the reality of turmoil, leading the AKP to move from an idealistic vision back toward a more traditional, pragmatic foreign policy orientation.
• The Syrian civil war has revived Turkey's primary security concern regarding Kurdish separatism, exacerbated by a security vacuum and the potential for Kurdish groups to establish state-like functions in northern Syria.
• Turkey has adopted a pragmatic economic relationship with the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq, including importing oil directly from the region in July 2012 to bypass the Iraqi central government.
• Regional dynamics have intensified domestic conflict in Turkey, with PKK-related violence killing 700 people between the summer of 2011 and September 2012, the highest level in over a decade.
• Turkey's international 'soft power' and its image as a democratic model are tarnished by domestic human rights issues, including the imprisonment of 49 journalists as of December 1, 2012.
• Turkey has emerged as a 'middle power' (part of the MIST group) with significant economic growth, with GDP increasing by 9% in 2010 and 8.5% in 2011.

APA

Tank, P. (2012). The AKPs foreign policy challenges after the Arab Spring. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/846caba4-ba1c-4019-bce9-2451939b57a7/The AKPs foreign policy challenges after the Arab Spring.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Tank, Pinar. The AKPs foreign policy challenges after the Arab Spring. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2012. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/846caba4-ba1c-4019-bce9-2451939b57a7/The AKPs foreign policy challenges after the Arab Spring.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{tank2012akps, author = {Tank, Pinar}, title = {{The AKPs foreign policy challenges after the Arab Spring}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2012}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/846caba4-ba1c-4019-bce9-2451939b57a7/The AKPs foreign policy challenges after the Arab Spring.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }