‘Terror-Free Turkey’ Process Could Boost Ankara’s International Status

Turkey’s attempt to bring four decades of conflict with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to an end is usually discussed primarily as a domestic political question. Understandably, the process named by Ankara as “Terror-Free Turkey” is framed around internal security, disarmament and the future relationship between the Turkish state and its Kurdish citizens. Yet such a reading is incomplete. The conflict with the PKK has never been merely an internal security challenge. For decades, it has shaped Turkey’s relations with Iraq and Syria, complicated its dealings with Washington and European governments and absorbed substantial military and intelligence resources. The Turkish parliament’s adoption of the Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration on August 10 must therefore also be understood as a development with potentially significant foreign policy consequences. Turkey will not automatically become more powerful if the process succeeds, but it could gain greater freedom to redistribute political, military and diplomatic attention across several theatres. The central question is whether Ankara can convert a reduction in one of its longest running security burdens into greater regional room for manoeuvre. Foreign policy influence is never generated automatically by the disappearance of a single security problem. What remains decisive are economic resources, institutional quality, diplomatic credibility, military capabilities, alliance structures and the behaviour of other states. Subscribe to Balkan Insight Premium to read the full article. Please login to your account below if you are already a Premium Subscriber. Buy Premium Subscription Our Premium Service gives you full access to all content published on BalkanInsight.com, including analyses, investigations, comments, interviews and more. Choose your subscription today and get unparalleled in-depth coverage of the Southern and Eastern Europe. Buy Premium Subscription If you have trouble logging in or any other questions regarding you account, please contact us