Soft power of the Republic of Turkey: cultural and educational aspects

Abstract

Globalization and the changing balance of power in the world have led to changes in international politics and the emergence of new forms of diplomatic activity. In their foreign policy, states increasingly attach importance to the public opinion of citizens of other countries, as well as forms of communication and interaction that these societies establish with each other. The new understanding of diplomacy now attaches more importance to soft power, culture and civil society, building a national brand. Policies and ways of using soft power are implemented primarily through cultural diplomacy, which is based on finding commonalities between different cultures. This article discusses the concept of soft power which is an important issue in modern theory of international relations. The concept of soft power which expresses another dimension of power is a type of power that is more difficult to define, express, measure, and evaluate. Today, it can be argued that the use of soft power is the most common method used by international actors which is changing with the international structure and the development of conditions in this direction. In this context the article examines the soft power of the Republic of Turkey, its role in foreign policy, and ways of implementing it. The authors focus separately on the cultural and educational aspects of Turkey’s formation of its identity in the world, the directions of its public diplomacy, and the role of individual institutions and state bodies in this process. After the end of the Cold War, Turkey underwent several stages of political transformation and changes in the ideological concepts of its foreign policy. Guided by the ideas of Pan-Turkism and the need for economic development, in the last decade of the 2000s TR increased its presence in the region, especially in Turkic-speaking countries. Cultural expansion becomes a model of the use of soft power, creates the national image of the country, but does not give the desired results. It is argued that the concept of soft power has played a greater role in Turkey’s foreign policy since The Justice and Development Party came to power and has become a new dimension of its foreign policy strategy.