Strategic Ambiguity: Erdoğan’s Turkey in a Multipolar World

Abstract

This analysis by Dr. Jeffrey Mankoff, in the INSS Center for Strategy and Military Power, examines Turkey’s foreign policy under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as it navigates a shifting global landscape marked by multipolarity. The authors explore how Turkey leverages strategic ambiguity, balancing its NATO membership and ties with the West while deepening engagement with Russia, China, and other actors, to pursue greater autonomy and regional influence. The article highlights Ankara’s use of diplomatic leverage in NATO decisions, its expansive foreign engagements from the Middle East to Africa, and pragmatic relations with rival powers. It also discusses domestic political dynamics and how Turkey’s dual orientation complicates its alliances and ambitions in a world where power is increasingly dispersed.

Document Type

Article

Topic(s)

Great Power Competition, Defense Policy, Military Strategy

Region(s)

Europe, Middle East, Russia, Eurasia

Publication Date

12-3-2025

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