ABSTRACT
Turkish foreign policy has been analysed through the lens of a ‘medium-sized power’.1 Due to its geographical location, population size, and capabilities such as the size of its military forces and its economic strength, Turkey is considered to be a pre-eminent power in the regions which surround it. Its historical and cultural heritage as well as the conscious redefinition of its location and identity in the republican period has had significant impact on the regional landscape. The weight of these indicators has changed over time and yet they culminated in making Turkey a regional power. This status also affected Turkey’s relations with the major powers, as it drew the inevitable attention of those powers while providing an opportunity for extracting benefits, material or otherwise.
