In the current global conjuncture, where the international system is becoming increasingly fragmented and the axes of security, economy, energy, and diplomacy are being reshaped beyond traditional regional boundaries, the geopolitical role of states can no longer be defined solely through a single sphere of regional influence. In the post-Cold War era, the emergence of new patterns of power distribution has enabled states to maintain a simultaneous presence across multiple geopolitical basins, generate influence, and assume meaningful roles within distinct regional systems. In this context, Türkiye has emerged not merely as a conventional regional power, but as a multi-regional geopolitical actor capable of exerting influence, developing strategic positioning, and employing multilayered foreign policy instruments across interconnected yet distinct geopolitical spaces, including Europe, the Middle East, the Black Sea, the Caucasus, Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Eurasia. Türkiye’s position within NATO, its role in Black Sea security, its balancing policy vis-à-vis Russia, its strategic partnerships with Gulf countries, its expanding diplomatic and economic engagement in Africa, and its growing outreach toward Asia and Eurasia demonstrate that Türkiye has evolved into an actor that is not only influential within its immediate neighborhood, but also increasingly capable of shaping outcomes and exercising strategic agency across multiple regional systems. This transformation signals a shift in Türkiye’s foreign policy identity from a framework of singular regional toward a more multilayered and multi-regional geopolitical role. Accordingly, in the post-Cold War international order, Türkiye is being repositioned not merely as a regional balancer, but as a strategic actor generating influence in security, diplomacy, energy, and economic affairs across multiple geopolitical spheres.
This session will examine Türkiye’s evolving geopolitical position and its capacity for multi-regional actorness within the context of contemporary crises and transforming regional orders. In particular, it will assess Türkiye’s mediation efforts during the Russia–Ukraine War, especially its role in the Black Sea Grain Initiative; its position within debates surrounding NATO and European security; and its strategic relations with the Gulf countries, Africa, Pakistan, Egypt, and Eurasia. By analyzing developments across the Black Sea, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Gulf, the Horn of Africa, and Eurasia, the session will explore whether Türkiye should continue to be understood merely as a “bridge country” or a conventional regional power, or whether it should instead be reconceptualized as a multi-regional geopolitical actor capable of generating influence across multiple geopolitical basins and exercising diplomatic and strategic agency within diverse regional systems.
Discussion Themes:
- In the contemporary geopolitical conjuncture, marked by the reconfiguration of Europe’s security architecture and the emergence of new regional security orders across the Middle East, how should Türkiye’s role as a multiregional actor linking distinct yet interconnected security ecosystems be conceptualized?
- How is Türkiye positioning itself as both a balancing power and a strategic nexus amid NATO’s transformation, Europe’s pursuit of strategic autonomy, and the evolving security landscape of the Middle East?
- To what extent do the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Türkiye’s mediation efforts in the Russia–Ukraine war, and its expanding strategic engagements across the Gulf and Africa indicate the emergence of Türkiye as a new-generation security provider in the domains of crisis management and diplomatic mediation?
- How do Türkiye’s expanding defense, diplomatic, and strategic partnerships with Pakistan, Egypt, Qatar, and African states contribute to the construction of an emerging cross-regional security architecture in an increasingly interconnected geopolitical environment?