Turkey’s “Soft Power” Strategy: A New Vision for a Multi-Polar World

There is a lively debate centered on whether Turkey is undergoing an axis shift, meaning Turkey is drifting away from the Transatlantic system and heading towards the Middle East in the most acclaimed dailies and journals of the Western world. One may witness a flurry of commentaries, appraisals and op-ed articles published in these media outlets. Taking notice of the vibrant debate on Turkey’s orientation in the international sphere, Turkey’s leaders underlined Turkey’s position with varying degrees of emphasis.

Despite the statements of Turkey’s policymakers, which argue against the idea of shift of axis, the debates over Turkey’s identity and foreign policy orientation has not lost steam. The shift should not be attributed to Turkey’s departure from its Western ties to be replaced by those with the East but rather, a shift of power as the inevitable outcome of the end of the Cold War and a fact of the new millennium.