Implications of Realist Defensive Foreign Policy: Towards a Turkish Intervention in Libya During the First and Second Libyan Crises

Turkish foreign policy significantly shifted in the second decade of the AKP government, as signified by adopting the official ‘zero problems with neighbours’ policy in 2009. The shift was necessitated by the country's quest to pursue an independent and autonomous foreign policy from the years of deep focus on Western partners. However, the dynamic regional challenges and pressing threats shaped Turkish intervention as a mediator or a military partner in the region. The intervention in Libya was important to the African continent and concretized the shifting Turkish defensive foreign policy orientation. Focusing on the main Libyan crises in this period, the first Libyan Crisis in 2011-2014 and the second Libyan Crisis in 2014 – 2020, the study critically analyses the shifting Turkish foreign policy towards Libya. In addition to securing Turkish interests in the Mediterranean, the intervention in Libya prevented the further escalation of the conflict, stabilized the UN-recognized government, and contributed significantly to the entry of the Turkish defence industrial complex into the African continent.

Implications of Realist Defensive Foreign Policy: Towards a Turkish Intervention in Libya During the First and Second Libyan Crises

Turkish foreign policy significantly shifted in the second decade of the AKP government, as signified by adopting the official ‘zero problems with neighbours’ policy in 2009. The shift was necessitated by the country's quest to pursue an independent and autonomous foreign policy from the years of deep focus on Western partners. However, the dynamic regional challenges and pressing threats shaped Turkish intervention as a mediator or a military partner in the region. The intervention in Libya was important to the African continent and concretized the shifting Turkish defensive foreign policy orientation. Focusing on the main Libyan crises in this period, the first Libyan Crisis in 2011-2014 and the second Libyan Crisis in 2014 – 2020, the study critically analyses the shifting Turkish foreign policy towards Libya. In addition to securing Turkish interests in the Mediterranean, the intervention in Libya prevented the further escalation of the conflict, stabilized the UN-recognized government, and contributed significantly to the entry of the Turkish defence industrial complex into the African continent.

___

  • Al-Fawwaz, A., & Abualkanam, A. S. (2021). Turkey’s intervention in Libya: Evaluating the crisis and consequences of the decision. Hong Kong Journal of Social Sciences, 57. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
  • Algarni, D. A. (2021). Crisis s’Libya in Influence in libya’s crisispolitical and security Implications inside and outside of Libya. International Instiutute for Iranian Studies.
  • Ali, E. (2021). Turkey-Libya relations: Poetential economic and strategic impact of Turkey’s role in Libya. Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt university.
  • Aljazeera. (2021, April 12). Turkey and Libya renew commitment to contested maritime deal. Aljazeera, 1–2.
  • Altunışık, M. B., & Marın, L. G. (2011). Making Sense of Turkish Foreign Policyin the Middle East under AKP. Turkısh Studıes, 12(4), 569–587.
  • Ayata, B. (2015). Turkish foreign policy in a changing Arab world: Rise and fall of a Regional Actor? Journal of European Integration, 37(1), 95–112. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07036337.2014.975991
  • Başkan, B., & Taşpınar, Ö. (2021). The nation or the ummah: Islamism and Turkish foreign policy. State University of New York.
  • Bayet, A. (2017). Revolutions without revolutionaries. stanford university press.
  • Çakır, A. A., & Akdağ, G. A. (2017). An empirical analysis of the change in Turkish foreign policy under the AKP government. Turkısh Studıes, 18(2).
  • Ceccorulli, M. (2021). Triangular migration diplomacy: The case of EU-Italian cooperation with Libya. Italian Political Science Review, 52(3), 328–345. https://doi.org/10.1017/ipo.2021.47
  • Erdogan, R. T. (2020, September 22). Speechn at the UN general assembly. tccb.gov.tr7en/
  • Ergocun, G. (2020, February 10). Libya aims to revive economic relations with Turkey. Anadolu Agency. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/energy/finance/libya-aims-to-revive-ecoonomic-relations-with-turkey
  • Ferhat, P. (2019). The Trajectory of Turkey-Libya relations: TRT World.
  • Lindenstrauss, G., Feuer, S. J., & Winter, O. (2019). The Perils of the Turkey-Libya Maritime Delimitation Deal. Institute for National Security Studies, 1238, 5. https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep23503
  • Group, I. C. (2020). The view from Ankara why Turkey intervened in Libya. International Crisis Group.
  • Harchaoui, J. (2020). Why Turkey intervened in Libya. Foreign Policy Research Institute.
  • Haugom, L. (2019). Turkish foreign policy under Erdogan: A change ininternational orientation? Comparative Strategy, 38(3), 206–223. https://doi.org/10.1080/01495933.2019.1606662
  • Hosen, H. M. (2019). Bilateral relations between Turkey and Libya1951-2018. Karabük university.
  • Hwang, W.-J., & Hoon Song, S. (2022). The extension of Turkish influence and the use of drones. Comparative Strategy. https://doi.org/10.1080/01495933.2022.2111907
  • Joffé, G. (2020). Libya: The new geopolitical arena. The Journal of North African Studies, 25(5), 681–688. https://doi.org/10.1080/13629387.2020.1790110
  • Kara, M., & Sözen, A. (2016). Change and Continuity in Turkish Foreign Policy: Evaluating Pre-AKP and AKP Periods’ National Role Conceptions. Uluslararasi Ilişkiler, 13(52), 47–66.
  • Kardaş, Ş. (2020). Turkey’s Libya Policy: Militarization of Regional Policies and Escalation Dominance. The Institute of International and Strategic Studies, 2, 325–336. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42533-020-00060-w
  • Köse, T., & Öztürk, B. (2020). A Sea of Change in the MENA Region: External Intervention in Libya. Insight Turkey, 113–138. https://doi.org/10.25253/99.2020224.08
  • Kutlay, M., & Önis, Z. (2021). Turkish foreign policy in a post-western oder: Strategic autonomy or new forms of dependence? International Affairs, 97(4), 1085–1104. https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiabo94
  • Lund, A. (2022). The Turkish Intervention in Libya [FOI-R--5207--SE]. Ministry of Defence of Sweden.
  • Málnássy, A. (2020). Change of direction in Turkey’s Africa policy. What is behind the Turkish intervention in Libya? Geopolitics and Geostrategy, 74, 74–84.
  • Mens, J. (2022). Blue homelands and red strongholds: The Libyan Civil War in Turkish and Russian strategy. Comaparative Strategy, 41(4), 370–387. https://doi.org/10.1080/01495933.2022.2087425
  • Merzan, K., & Miller, E. (2017). From intervention to proxy war.
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs Türkiye. (2022). Bilateral relationships between Türkiye and Libya [Foreign ministry website].
  • Murinson, A. (2012). Turkish foreign policy in the twenty-first century. The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, 97. http://www.besacenter.org
  • Orazi, S. (2017). Imperialism and national pride in the Italo-Turkish war (1911-12). ICSR Mediterranean Knowledge, 2017(3).
  • Özşahin, M. C., & Çakmak, C. (2022). Between defeating “the warlord” and defending “the blue homeland”: A discourse of legitimacy abd security in Turkey’s Libya policy. Cambridge Review of International Affairs. https://doi.org/10,1080/09557571,2022,2089545
  • Quamar, Md. M. (2020). Turkey and the Regional Flashpoint in Libya. Strategic Analysis, 44(6), 597–602. https://doi.org/10.1080/09700161.2020.1841098
  • Rossiter, A., & Cannon, B. J. (2022). Turkey’s rise as a drone power: Trial by Fire. Defense & Security Analysis, 38(2), 210–229. https://doi.org/10.1080/14751798.2022.2068562
  • Shay, S. (2019). The escalation of the war in Libya. Research institute for European and American studies. http://rieas.gr./image/editorial/shaulshaydec19.pdf
  • Siccardi, F. (2021). How syria changed Turkey’s foreign policy. carnergie endowment for international peace.
  • Telci, I. N. (2020). Turkey’s Libya Policy: Achievements and Challenges. Insight Turkey, 41–54. https://doi.org/10.25253/99.2020224.03
  • UN. (2003). Security Council lifts Sanctions imposed on Libya after terrorist bombings of Pan Am 103, UTA Am 103 (Security Council SC/7868). UN. https://press.un.org/en/2003/sc7868.doc.htm
  • UN. (2017, April 1). Libya: Amid threat of renewed conflict, UN envoy urges restraint [UN news]. news.un.org/en/story/2017/01/548832
  • Üstün, A. (2020). Türkiye Libya ilişkileri (1951.2011) [Masters thesis]. Bursa Uludağa Üniversitesi.
  • Waltz, K. (1979). Theory of international politics. Addison.