Another Last Eurasianist: Davutoğlu’s Eurasianist Rhetoric

This article examines the concept of Eurasianism in relation to Turkey’s Foreign Policy during the Ahmet Davutoğlu era. It argues that in the post-2005 era, Turkey has pursued a proactive foreign policy course under Davutoğlu’s leadership, and that this foreign policy has a whiff of Eurasianism, even if Davutoğlu’s interpretation emphasizes a different aspect of Eurasianism with different policy implications. However, both interpretations have similar instrumentalist nature. While Classical/Neo-Eurasianists attempt to justify Russia’s Great Power status, Davutoğlu undertakes to put forward Turkey’s actual potential and strategic importance for the rest of the continent.

Authors: Özgür Tüfekçi
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