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The purpose of this article is to elucidate the changes in the security policy of the Turkish Republic, brought about by both internal factors due to the peculiarities of the state (e.g., the ethnic structure of the population) and external factors related to changes in the international environment (location in the part of the Middle East bordering the unstable areas of the Caucasus, the Balkans, and Iraq and Syria). After an initial period when Turkey pursued a policy of neutrality in international relations, there was a strategic turn toward the West after World War II. The last three decades have been a period of restoring relations with countries in the region and building a new security strategy based on the doctrine of deterrence and advanced defense, and, since the civil war in Syria, assertive military activism. According to the author, the overemphasis on hard power tools may contribute to the emergence of various types of balancing movements (by state and non-state actors) that may threaten Ankara's strategic interests. Balancing moves can cause geopolitical alienation and limit Turkey's freedom of action, reducing the effectiveness of diplomatic efforts, which are an essential tool for resolving international conflicts. The article draws on interviews the author conducted with Turkish researchers. These included Ferhat Pirinççi of Uludağ University in Bursa (7.11.2022), and Murat Aslan and Bilgehan Öztürk of the SETA Foundation in Ankara (15-16.11.2022).

It is almost a commonplace to say that the Ottoman Empire was succeeded by the Republic of Turkey. Nevertheless, it is not true. When the Ottoman sultanate was abolished in November 1922, that abolition in itself was not fiercely contested. The debates concentrated on two other issues: the creation of a “spiritual” Caliphate (a complete novelty in the world of Islam) and first and foremost guarantees that the current system of government in Ankara would be maintained. That system was that of the National Assembly which elected individual commissars from its midst. It was this political system, with a very powerful elected legislature and a weak and dependent executive, that replaced the Ottoman Empire.