Course Information
SemesterCourse Unit CodeCourse Unit TitleT+P+LCreditNumber of ECTS CreditsLast Updated Date
6PSIR352Turkish Foreign Policy3+0+03603.01.2026
Course Details
Language of Instruction French
Level of Course Unit Bachelor's Degree
Department / Program Political Science and International Relations
Type of Program Formal Education
Type of Course Unit Compulsory
Course Delivery Method Face To Face
Objectives of the Course To provide the students with an essential background to make informed judgments on historical pattern of continuity and change in Turkish foreign policy.
? To provide an integrated assessment of the dynamics concerning issues, actors and policies that drive Türkiye’s foreign relations.
? To endow the students with a conceptual knowledge to deduce the temporal lineage and evolution of Türkiye’s foreign affairs with regard to how and why it has changed from the Cold War period to post-Cold War era and to grasp both the current state of affairs and future policy challenges.
? To enable the students to conceive Türkiye’s role in the contemporary world affairs
Course Content This course focuses on Türkiye’s foreign policy by examining its fundamental themes, determinants, actors, issues, mechanisms and dynamics. It offers a systematic analysis of Turkish foreign policy (TFP) starting from the late Ottoman period to the most recent era. The course follows a chronological path until the end of the Cold War and then proceeds with thematically involving Türkiye’s bilateral and multilateral relations. Further, the course is underpinned by a variety of required weekly articles to help students make connections at the practical level thereby endowing them with a necessary outlook to understand and evaluate both the traditional and contemporary issues and challenges of Turkey’s foreign affairs.

Each class will begin with a lecture and end up with a brainstorming exercise.
Throughout lectures critical-thinking questions help students develop more well-informed ideas about nature, evolution and future trajectory of Türkiye’s foreign affairs; develop their critical thinking skills and apply what they have learned.
Course Methods and Techniques • Lecture
• Case study
• Small group work
• Interactive discussions
• Homework
Prerequisites and co-requisities None
Course Coordinator None
Name of Lecturers Asist Prof.Dr. BURÇİN ULUĞ burcin.eryilmaz@hku.edu.tr
Assistants None
Work Placement(s) No

Recommended or Required Reading
Resources • Turkish Foreign Policy Since 1774, William Hale, 3rd ed. London: Routledge, 2013. • Turkish Foreign Policy: International Relations, Legality, and Global Reach, ed. Pınar Gözen Ercan, Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017
• Turkey in Transition: Politics, Society, and Foreign Policy, ed. Ebru Canan-Sokullu, Berlin: Peter Lang, 2020 •
Course Notes -

Course Category
Social Sciences %100

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods
Activities are given in detail in the section of "Assessment Methods and Criteria" and "Workload Calculation"

Assessment Methods and Criteria
In-Term Studies Quantity Percentage
Mid-terms 1 % 30
Assignment 1 % 20
Attendance 13 % 10
Final examination 1 % 40
Total
16
% 100

 
ECTS Allocated Based on Student Workload
Activities Quantity Duration Total Work Load
Course Duration 15 3 45
Hours for off-the-c.r.stud 5 7 35
Assignments 1 30 30
Mid-terms 1 20 20
Practice 2 10 20
Final examination 1 30 30
Total Work Load   Number of ECTS Credits 6 180

 
Course Learning Outcomes: Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
NoLearning Outcomes
1 Develop knowledge and understanding of historical, political, and institutional aspects of Turkish foreign policy.
2 Demonstrate competency in the basic approaches and perspectives in evaluating various fundamental themes, dynamics, key determinants, actors, issues, and mechanisms concerning Türkiye’s foreign relations.
3 Develop their skills in appraising and deducing the dynamics of opportunities and ongoing challenges of Turkish foreign policy. Enable the students to conceive Turkey’s role in the contemporary world affairs. Discuss the ideas in a group/team structure by taking responsibility and with respect to other ideas and cultures.
4 Identify and explore the historical foundations, the temporal lineage and evolution of Türkiye’s foreign affairs with regard to how and why it has changed from the Cold War period to post-Cold War era.
5 Critically read and understand academic texts and political statements regarding Türkiye’s foreign relations.

 
Weekly Detailed Course Contents
WeekTopicsStudy MaterialsMaterials
1 Welcome; Course Procedures and Methodology -
2 The Ottoman Legacy William Hale (WH)-Chapter 1
3 Turkish Foreign Policy Between 1923 and 1939 WH-Chapter 2; Criss, Nur Bilge. "Turkey’s Foreign Policies During the Interwar Period (1923–1939)." Turkish Foreign Policy, ed. Pınar Gözen Ercan, Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017: 17-38.
4 Turkish Foreign Policy During the Second World War WH-Chapter 3; Deringil, Selim, “The Preservation of Turkey's Neutrality During the Second World War: 1940,” Middle Eastern Studies 18, no.1 (1982): 30-52.
5 Türkiye and the Cold War (I) WH-Chapter 4; Sever, Ayşegül, “The Compliant Ally? Turkey and the West in the Middle East, 1954-58,” Middle Eastern Studies 34, no.2 (1998): 73-90; Johnson, L. B. and Inonu, I., “President Johnson and Prime Minister Inonu: Correspondence Between President Johnson and Prime Minister Inonu,” The Middle East Journal (June 1964): 386-393.
6 Türkiye and the Cold War (II) WH-Chapter 5; Aydın, Mustafa, “Turkish Foreign Policy: Framework and Analysis,” SAM Papers, no.1 (2004): 60-113.
7 Turkish Foreign Policy During the Early Post-Cold War Period WH-Chapter 6; Sayarı, Sabri, “Turkish Foreign Policy in the Post-Cold War Era: The Challenges of Multi Regionalism,” Journal of International Affairs 54, no.1 (Fall 2000): 169-182.
8 MID TERM EXAM -
9 Post-2002 Turkish Foreign Policy Canan-Sokullu, Ebru. “Transformation of Foreign Policy in the AKP Era: Realpolitik Codes versus Instrumental Soft-Power.” Turkey in Transition: Politics, Society, and Foreign Policy, ed. Ebru Canan-Sokullu, Berlin: Peter Lang, 2020: 175-192; Hoffmann, Clemens, “Neo-Ottomanism, Eurasianism or Securing the Region? A Longer View on Turkey’s Interventionism,” Conflict, Security and Development 19, no.3 (2019): 301-307; Aras, Bülent, “The Crisis and Change in Turkish Foreign Policy After July 15,” Alternatives 44, no.1 (2019): 6-18.
10 Türkiye’s Changing Relations With The West: Relations With The U.S.A. WH-Chapter 7; Atmaca, Ayşe Ömür, “The Geopolitical Origins of Turkish-American Relations: Revisiting the Cold War Years,” All Azimuth 3, no. 1 (January 2014): 19-34; Atmaca, Ayşe Ömür. “Turkey-US Relations (2009-2016): A Troubled Partnership in a Troubled World?” Turkish Foreign Policy, ed. Pınar Gözen Ercan, Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017: 63-82; Kara, Mehtap, “Turkish-American Strategic Partnership: Is Turkey Still A Faithful Ally?,” Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, 2022: 1-21.
11 Türkiye-European Union (EU) Relations WH-Chapter 8; Keskin Ata, Funda. “EU-Turkey Relations (1999-2016): Conditionality at Work?” Turkish Foreign Policy, ed. Pınar Gözen Ercan, Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017: 105-127; Öner, Selcen. “Turkey and the European Union Relations in Transition: Challenges and Future Prospects”, Turkey in Transition: Politics, Society, and Foreign Policy, ed. Ebru Canan-Sokullu, Berlin: Peter Lang, 2020: 209-229.
12 Turkish-Russian Relations and Turkish Foreign Policy Towards Eurasia WH-Chapter 10; Öniş, Ziya and Suhnaz Yılmaz, “Turkey and Russia in a Shifting Global Order: Cooperation, Conflict and Asymmetric Interdependence in Turbulent Region.” Third World Quarterly 37, no.1 (2016): 71-95; Ekinci, Didem, “Russia-Turkey Relations (1991-2016): Diverging Interests and Compelling Realities.” Turkish Foreign Policy, ed. Pınar Gözen Ercan, Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017: 151-172; Köstem, Seçkin, “Geopolitics, Identity and Beyond: Turkey’s Renewed Interest in the Caucasus and Central Asia” Turkey’s Pivot to Eurasia: Geopolitics and Foreign Policy in a Changing World Order, eds. Emre Erşen and Seçkin Köstem, New York: Routledge, 2019: 111-128.
13 Turkish Foreign Policy Towards the Middle East WH-Chapter 11; Günay, Defne, “The Roles Turkey Played in the Middle East (2002-2016).” Turkish Foreign Policy, ed. Pınar Gözen Ercan, Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017: 195-215; Bilgel, Yasemin, “Turkey’s Activism in the Middle East: The Role of Structural Factors”, Turkey in Transition: Politics, Society, and Foreign Policy, ed. Ebru Canan-Sokullu, Berlin: Peter Lang, 2020: 193-208; Aktürk, Şener, “Turkey’s Role in the Arab Spring and the Syrian Conflict.” Turkish Policy Quarterly 15, no.4 (Winter 2017): 87-96.
14 Türkiye and the Wider World: Africa, East Asia, Latin America Pakin-Albayrakoğlu, Esra, “Turkey in Africa: From Aid to Arms”, Turkey in Transition: Politics, Society, and Foreign Policy, ed. Ebru Canan-Sokullu, Berlin: Peter Lang, 2020: 231-249; Pehlivantürk, Bahadır. “East Asia in Turkish Foreign Policy: Turkey As a ‘Global Power?” Turkish Foreign Policy, ed. Pınar Gözen Ercan, Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017: 259-278; Önsoy, Murat, “Latin America-Turkey Relations: Reaching Out to Distant Shores of the Western Hemisphere.” Turkish Foreign Policy, ed. Pınar Gözen Ercan, Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017: 237-258.
15 Wrap-up -
16 FINAL EXAM -

 
Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes
P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10
C1 3 3 2 5 4 4 3 3 4 5
C2 2 3 4 3 3 4 4 3 3 3
C3 4 4 3 4 2 5 4 5 4 4
C4 3 4 4 4 2 3 3 2 4 5
C5 5 3 3 5 3 4 4 2 4 4

  Contribution: 1: Very Slight 2:Slight 3:Moderate 4:Significant 5:Very Significant