Report urges Türkiye to develop its own AI-era technopolitical doctrine

Türkiye should develop its own technopolitical doctrine that combines strategic capability, secure artificial intelligence design and public legitimacy as AI reshapes global power, according to a report published Friday by the National Intelligence Academy (MIA). The report, titled "Technopolitical Order Debates in World Politics and Türkiye," argues that artificial intelligence has evolved beyond a technological innovation into a strategic asset that influences state capacity, economic competitiveness, social trust and the balance of power in international politics. The publication comes as governments around the world compete to secure leadership in AI, semiconductor production, critical minerals, energy resources and data infrastructure, areas increasingly viewed as central to national security and geopolitical influence. In the report's foreword, MIA President Prof. Dr. Talha Köse said future international competition would be shaped not only by AI technologies but also by advanced chips, critical minerals, energy supplies, data infrastructure and robotic systems that enable them. Köse said debates over technology policy are becoming the defining framework for global politics, economics and society, adding that Türkiye must become an active participant in the emerging technological order to avoid strategic surprises and capitalize on new opportunities. The report describes AI as one of the primary determinants of strategic capacity, arguing that competition now extends beyond technological superiority to include governments' ability to make data-driven decisions, the growing influence of private technology companies over public life, the preservation of democratic legitimacy and the role of human agency in an increasingly automated environment. Researchers identify three major schools of thought shaping the emerging technopolitical order. The technorealist approach views AI primarily as a source of geopolitical and military advantage for states. The technopragmatist perspective emphasizes secure, reliable and governable AI systems. The technohumanist approach prioritizes human dignity, individual freedoms and social justice in technological development. Rather than adopting a single framework, the report argues that Türkiye should combine the strengths of all three approaches to build a balanced and realistic national strategy. According to the study, Türkiye already possesses several advantages, including experience gained through its defense industry, AI-assisted decision-making capabilities, operational expertise and accumulated data resources. Cooperation between public institutions and the private sector, along with a growing pool of qualified professionals, was also identified as a competitive asset. At the same time, the report points to structural challenges, including fragmented data governance, inconsistent standards among institutions, uneven data quality and the need for greater transparency and accountability. It says technological capabilities should be reinforced through stronger institutional governance. The report argues that Türkiye's long-term position in the AI era will depend on developing an original technopolitical model that integrates strategic capacity, secure system design and social legitimacy within a single institutional framework. It also warns that treating AI solely as an instrument of technological superiority could reinforce new forms of global hierarchy. Instead, the report says Türkiye's civilizational heritage and human-centered approach could enable it to offer an alternative governance model while evolving from a country that primarily adopts AI technologies into one that shapes its own doctrine and governance framework. Among its policy recommendations, the academy calls for strengthening Türkiye's national AI infrastructure, improving data governance, expanding interdisciplinary education and increasing the country's technopolitical diplomatic capacity. It also recommends adopting a risk-based AI governance model, establishing common standards across public institutions, reducing technological dependence on foreign suppliers, playing a more active role in international technology governance and transferring innovations developed in the defense sector into civilian applications. The report concludes that the technopolitical transformation driven by artificial intelligence extends far beyond technological advancement, affecting national strategy, economic resilience, social structures and international influence. It says Türkiye's long-term strategic interests will depend on becoming one of the countries helping shape the emerging global AI order rather than simply adapting to it.