Hacettepe University Graduate School of Social Sciences Department of International Relations TURKEY’S BALKAN POLICY UNDER AK PARTY AND CLAIMS FOR NEO-OTTOMANISM Suat Beylur Master’s Thesis Ankara, 2013 TURKEY’S BALKAN POLICY UNDER AK PARTY AND CLAIMS FOR NEO-OTTOMANISM Suat Beylur Hacettepe University Graduate School of Social Sciences Department of International Relations Master’s Thesis Ankara, 2013 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my gratitude to my advisor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Müge Kınacıoğlu who has made so crucial contributions to the thesis since the beginning of this study and been highly patient and interested in my various questions throughout this process. I am also grateful to Assoc. Prof.Dr. Havva Kök Arslan, Assist. Prof. Akça Ataç and Assist. Prof. Murat Önsoy who lent a great assistance for me to advance in this study. Their guidance in both theoretical and practical senses with valuable comments and suggestions has been essential for me to achieve the goals of the thesis. I should also acknowledge Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emel Oktay who was my first advisor at the beginning of this process. Finally, my special thanks are for the all members of my family and friends who have always encouraged and supported me to complete this study. ii ÖZET Bu tez, Ahmet Davutoğlu etkisiyle şekillenen Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (AKP) dönemi Türkiye’nin Balkan politikasını incelemekte ve bu bağlamda kendisine yöneltilen neo-Osmanlıcı iddialarının doğru olup olmadığını, varsa ne oranda ve hangi alanlarda olduğunu ortaya çıkarmayı amaçlamaktadır. Söz konusu amaca ulaşmak için öncelikle neo-Osmanlıcılık kavramının güncel politik anlamını kavramaya matuf Osmanlıcılığın tarihi, siyasi ve entelektüel temelleri incelenmiştir. Sonra, AKP döneminde yeniden ortaya çıkan neo-Osmanlıcı iddialarının nedenlerini anlamaya katkı sağlayacağı düşüncesiyle sırasıyla Türk dış politikası analizi ve ardından Balkanların Osmanlı öncesi tarihine dair kısa bir giriş yapıldıktan sonra Osmanlı Devleti ve Türkiye’nin Balkan politikası ana hatları ile özetlenmeye çalışılmıştır. Sonraki bölümlerde ise ABD, AB, Ortadoğu, Kafkasya ve Orta Asya gibi ana bölge ve konular üzerinden AKP dönemi Türk dış politikası“Stratejik Derinlik” doktrini bağlamında incelenmiştir. Daha sonra ise AKP dönemi Türkiye’nin Balkan ülkeleri ile siyasi, ekonomik, sosyal ve kültürel ilişkileri detaylı olarak ele alınmıştır. Bunun yanında bu politikaların üst düzey ziyaretler, söylemler ve diğer kamu diplomasisi kapsamında değerlendirilecek kurum ve kuruluşların faaliyetlerine nasıl yansıdığı üzerinde durulmuştur. En sonunda, bütün bu veri ve bilgiler üzerinden AKP’ye yöneltilen neo-Osmanlıcı iddiaların geçerli olup olmadığı değerlendirilmiştir. Anahtar Sözcükler: AKP, Balkanlar, Türk Dış Politikası, Türkiye’nin Balkan Politikası, neo-Osmanlıcılık, Stratejik Derinlik, Çok Boyutlu Dış Politika, Kamu Diplomasisi, Ahmet Davutoğlu iii ABSTRACT This thesis studies Turkey’s Balkan policy in the period of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) which is shaped by the Ahmet Davutoğlu’s factor and, in this context aims to find out if Turkey’s Balkan policy under AKP is neo-Ottomanist or not, and in which aspects and to what extent? In order to achieve that objective, historical, political and intellectual roots of Ottomanism for the purpose of better understanding of current political understanding of neo-Ottomanism were examined. Then, the Balkan policy of Ottoman Empire and Turkey was summarized with the main lines after analyzing Turkish foreign policy in general and giving a brief information about the pre-Ottoman Balkans history which are expected to provide some background to understand the grounds of claims of neo-Ottomanism reemerged in the period of the AKP. In the subsequent chapters, Turkish foreign policy on the issues and regions such as the US, the EU, the Middle East, the Caucasus and the Central Asia were examined in the context of “Strategic Depth” doctrine. Afterwards, political, economic, social and cultural relations between Turkey and Balkan countries were handled in detail. In addition, it was put emphasis on how these policies reflect on high level visits, discourses and activities of foundations and institutions which can be considered as public diplomacy instruments. Finally, out of all of this data and information it is evaluated whether the claims for neo-Ottomanist oriented to the AKP are valid or not. Key Words: AKP, The Balkans, Turkish Foreign Policy, Turkey’s Balkan Policy, Neo- Ottomanism, Strategic Depth, Multidimensional Foreign Policy, Public Diplomacy, Ahmet Davutoğlu iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................. i ÖZET ............................................................................................................................................. ii ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................................... iv ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................. viii CHAPTER 1.................................................................................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2.................................................................................................................................. 6 THEORIETICAL FRAMEWORK ................................................................................................. 6 2.1. Neo-Ottomanism ...................................................................................................................................... 6 2.2. An Overview of Turkish Foreign Policy ....................................................................................... 14 CHAPTER 3................................................................................................................................ 20 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND .................................................................................................. 20 3.1. The Land and Its Habitants ............................................................................................................... 20 3.2. A Brief History of the Balkans and pre-Ottoman Period ....................................................... 21 3.3. The Ottomans and Balkans ............................................................................................................... 22 3.4. Turkey’s Balkan Policy from Atatürk to AKP ............................................................................. 29 3.4.1. Interwar Period (1923-1947) ................................................................................ 29 3.4.2. The Cold War Period (1947-1989) ........................................................................ 31 3.4.3. The Post Cold War Period (1989-2002) ................................................................ 33 3.5. Neo-Ottomanism Discussions in 1990s ....................................................................................... 43 CHAPTER 4................................................................................................................................ 49 AKP and TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY ................................................................................... 49 4.1. New Era: AKP in Power ...................................................................................................................... 49 4.2. AKP’s Foreign Policy and Davutoğlu’s Factor; Strategic Depth ......................................... 50 CHAPTER 5................................................................................................................................ 64 TURKEY’S BALKAN POLICY UNDER AKP ............................................................................. 64 5.1. The Principals of Turkey’s Balkan Policy .................................................................................... 64 5.2. Turkey’s Political and Economic Relations with the Balkans ............................................. 66 5.2.1. Turkey and Bosnia Herzegovina ............................................................................ 67 v 5.2.2. Turkey and Serbia ................................................................................................... 73 5.2.3. Turkey and Montenegro ......................................................................................... 78 5.2.4. Turkey and Kosovo .................................................................................................. 82 5.2.5. Turkey and Macedonia ............................................................................................ 84 5.2.6. Turkey and Albania ................................................................................................. 88 5.2.7. Turkey’s Policy for The Turkish Minority in Greece and Bulgaria ...................... 91 5.3. Turkey’s Social and Cultural Relations with Balkans; Public Diplomacy ....................... 95 5.3.1. Coordination Office of Public Diplomacy ............................................................... 96 5.3.2. Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency ................................................... 97 5.3.3. Yunus Emre Institute .............................................................................................. 99 5.3.4. Presidency for Turks Abroad and Relative Communities .................................. 100 5.3.5. Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, Anatolian Agency and Directorate General of Press and Information .................................................................................. 101 5.3.6. Practice of Sister Municipalities ........................................................................... 102 5.3.7. The Other Instruments and Practices .................................................................. 103 5.4. Reemergence of Neo-Ottomanism in the AKP Period ..........................................................104 CHAPTER 6.............................................................................................................................. 108 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................... 108 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................... 112