ABSTRACT
The Justice and Development Party’s election victory in 2002 set in train attempts at re-orientating Turkish society towards political Islam. A few Turkish scholars predict that, as the world’s fastest growing economy, China might soon become the most powerful actor in world politics. Before Xi Jinping’s ascent to power in 2012, geographical distance had meant that China and Turkey remained fairly loosely engaged in terms of modern strategic planning. The Cold War had landed China and Turkey in opposite spheres of influence, with China initially allied with the Soviet Union and Turkey joining North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1952. In 1949, after the establishment of the People’s Republic, Turkey’s embassy moved to Taiwan, and relations between Turkey and mainland China ceased. Although Turkish big business perceives China as an outlet for Turkish goods, they are also realistic about China’s economic clout and Turkey’s limitations.
