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2471. The Hegemonic Transition in Latin America: To What Extent is China Challenging US’s Hegemony?

Author:
Andoni Maiza-Larrarte and Ricardo Bustillo-Mesanza
Publication Date:
07-2025
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
All Azimuth: A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace
Institution:
Center for Foreign Policy and Peace Research
Abstract:
In this paper, we examine the geopolitical consequences of China’s enhanced engagement in Latin America. China is increasing its economic weight among Latin American countries, reinforcing its external image to counter the perception that the US is a unique relevant ally. In previous research, some authors have supported the idea that China could become a sort of neocolonial power in Latin America, substituting the hegemony of the United States. In this article, we carry out an in-depth review of Western literature and a comprehensive analysis of the bilateral relationship to discuss China’s role in the region. We apply the principles of the hegemonic stability and the power transition theories, and we also include an assessment of “soft power” components. We conclude that China is eroding US power in Latin America but is still far from becoming the new regional hegemon.
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Hegemony, Transition, and Regional Politics
Political Geography:
China, Asia, Latin America, and United States of America

2472. The Functioning of Normative Power in the Logic of the EU and China

Author:
Emrah Yıldırımçakar
Publication Date:
07-2025
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
All Azimuth: A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace
Institution:
Center for Foreign Policy and Peace Research
Abstract:
Normative power has become a critical topic of discussion in International Relations and Political Science scholarship, particularly in the context of the normative power of the European Union (EU) and China. However, academic attention has been excessively directed toward investigating the normative power of the European Union rather than that of China. Given the EU’s unique status as a supranational and multinational entity consisting of multiple member states, its process of diffusion of normative power differs significantly from that of China. In this context, this study aims to explore and compare the normative power dynamics maintained by the EU and China in the international arena, examine the approaches, strategies, and outcomes of both the EU and China by providing a detailed understanding of how each party implements normative power, and explore the inequalities in normative power acquisition strategies between these two actors.
Topic:
International Relations, European Union, Political Science, and Norms
Political Geography:
China, Europe, and Asia

2473. Understanding the Complexities of the Eastern Mediterranean Hydrocarbon Puzzle by Regional Security Complex Theory

Author:
Jude Alabi and Can Kakişim
Publication Date:
12-2025
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Uluslararasi Iliskiler
Institution:
International Relations Council of Turkey (UİK-IRCT)
Abstract:
The discovered hydrocarbon reserves throughout the Eastern Mediterranean hold enormous economic promise but have also increased regional geopolitical tensions. However, the discovery of reserves has failed to advance regional cooperation in the region due to pre-existing territorial conflicts and closed security alliances. Regional Security Complex Theory (RSCT) helps this study understand how security connections in the area determine energy politics by explaining the failure of economic benefits to transcend historical conflicts. This research shows that the securitization process of hydrocarbon resources created new conflicts that generated maritime military disputes and formed special alliances. The Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum demonstrates how security issues supplant economic advantages since it excludes Türkiye from membership, thereby impeding the creation of an all-encompassing regional energy framework. The research adds value to existing knowledge about energy governance by underscoring the influence of state and non-state forces in the region’s energy sector. According to the analysis, energy diplomacy cannot solve geopolitical conflicts because security concerns need broader political structures for resolution. The Eastern Mediterranean hydrocarbon resources will continue to be a source of regional dispute if no comprehensive solutions are implemented.
Topic:
Diplomacy, Geopolitics, Hydrocarbons, Securitization, Energy, and Regional Security
Political Geography:
Turkey and Eastern Mediterranean

2474. The Nexus of Power, Culture, and Elite Interactions: A Neoclassical Realist Framework for Foreign Policy Analysis

Author:
Ayla Akdoğan
Publication Date:
12-2025
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Uluslararasi Iliskiler
Institution:
International Relations Council of Turkey (UİK-IRCT)
Abstract:
Neoclassical Realism (NCR) combines international and domestic factors, offering a multidimensional framework for analyzing foreign policy. While this integration of external and internal dynamics has advanced foreign policy analysis, NCR remains constrained by its reliance on static unit-level variables. This limitation impedes NCR’s potential to fully bridge International Relations (IR) and Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA). In particular, NCR’s treatment of ideational variables as fixed overlooks the dynamic role of elite interactions, which significantly shape a state’s specific and fluid actions toward certain regions or actors— even under stable systemic pressures and enduring strategic-cultural ideas. This article addresses this gap by proposing the inclusion of inter-elite interactions as an intervening variable within the NCR framework. It argues that while the distribution of power sets the parameters for foreign policy, strategic culture and inter-elite interactions shape the specific foreign policy choices. By incorporating a socio-psychological focus on elite relations, the paper aims to enhance NCR’s explanatory power and fully unlock its potential for FPA. This theoretical development offers a more comprehensive framework for analyzing the complexities of foreign policy, advancing a systematic and integrative approach that bridges the divide between agents and structures, and strengthens the theoretical link between IR and FPA.
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Behavior, Elites, Decision-Making, Strategic Culture, and Relative Power
Political Geography:
Global Focus

2475. Spatial Context of Ontological Security in Foreign Policy Analysis: The Case of Türkiye’s Blue Homeland Policy

Author:
Yumuşak Güç
Publication Date:
12-2025
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Uluslararasi Iliskiler
Institution:
International Relations Council of Turkey (UİK-IRCT)
Abstract:
The concept of ontological security in foreign policy analysis (FPA) and International Relations highlights that states seek not only physical but also existential security. States, like individuals, aim to perceive themselves as meaningful entities and create stable identities through consistent routines and biographical narratives. These narratives are formed from collective memories and help the state maintain historical continuity and identity. However, FPA studies often overlook the importance of space, a crucial factor emphasized in psychological studies on individual ontological security. Space contributes to feelings of consistency, control, status, autonomy, and identity. This study explores the significance of space for a state’s ontological security in foreign policy, using Türkiye’s “Blue Homeland” (Mavi Vatan) policy as a case study. Türkiye’s ambitious maritime policy, involving activities like natural gas exploration and military exercises, reflects its quest for physical and ontological security. The Blue Homeland policy not only addresses physical security but also Türkiye’s need for ontological security through its discourses, symbols, and narratives. This study aims to introduce the spatial dimension into FPA’s ontological security approach and analyze Türkiye’s Blue Homeland policy through this new lens.
Topic:
International Relations, Foreign Policy, Autonomy, and Blue Homeland Policy
Political Geography:
Turkey and Middle East

2476. NATO’s Quest for Ontological Security: Securitizing Russia in the Arctic

Author:
Sevgi BALKAN-ŞAHİN and Özge Çetiner
Publication Date:
12-2025
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Uluslararasi Iliskiler
Institution:
International Relations Council of Turkey (UİK-IRCT)
Abstract:
The article examines how NATO has strategically and symbolically addressed disruptions to its ontological security due to Russia’s military build-up in the Arctic and its aggressions in Ukraine. Based on an engagement between ontological security and securitization perspectives, the article argues that NATO’s intentional and unconscious securitization acts towards Russia have addressed its material threats and ontological anxieties. Demonstrating the intersection of the material and psychological aspects of securitization, it highlights how NATO has engaged in a security-oriented role in the Arctic and constructed Russia as an abject/other to reaffirm its “self” as a united, reliable, and values-driven collective defense alliance. This dual approach has reflected NATO’s reflexivity in balancing strategic and ontological needs to respond to evolving security dynamics. Analyzing NATO’s Summit Declarations, Strategic Concepts, and press releases on the Arctic and Russia, coupled with interviews with NATO officials, the article reveals three major themes the Alliance has used to securitize Russia as a threat: to the “Euro-Atlantic stability”, “the Arctic peace”, and “international law and values”.
Topic:
International Relations, NATO, Psychology, Securitization, and Russia-Ukraine War
Political Geography:
Russia and Arctic

2477. The Impact of the 2022 European Union Migration Crisis on the Migratory Discourses Adopted by the European Parliament

Author:
Cem Çetin and Michael Brüggemann
Publication Date:
12-2025
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Uluslararasi Iliskiler
Institution:
International Relations Council of Turkey (UİK-IRCT)
Abstract:
When Russian forces attacked Ukraine on 24 February 2022, masses of people moved towards the borders of the European Union (EU). The unexpected increase in arrivals within a relatively short time span became a significant challenge for the EU to manage, turning into a crisis. This paper assesses whether the political alignment of different party groups in the European Parliament (EP) (e.g., left-wing, right-wing, populist) helps explain the discursive frames they adopt on migration within the context of the 2022 EU migration crisis. Using qualitative content analysis, the study identifies the discursive frames employed by members of the parliament in plenary debates. It finds that factors like the EU’s legislative procedure, institutional structure, and the EP’s political position contribute to overlapping discourses, which also vary based on the country of origin of migrants and the ideological positions of party groups.
Topic:
Migration, Refugee Crisis, European Parliament, Russia-Ukraine War, and Qualitative Content Analysis
Political Geography:
Europe and Ukraine

2478. The Russian Military Intervention in Syria

Author:
Ali Murat Özdemir
Publication Date:
12-2025
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Uluslararasi Iliskiler
Institution:
International Relations Council of Turkey (UİK-IRCT)
Abstract:
In The Russian Military Intervention in Syria, Ohannes Geukjian attempts to explain Russia’s military intervention in Syria using the status-seeking theory. The theory claims that Russia risks conflict to retain its great power status. According to Geukjian, Russia is a statusinconsistent power, which means its status and capability are not aligned. Russia considers itself a great power due to its nuclear capabilities, veto power in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), and its role in the Cold War. However, its economic, military, and material capabilities are insufficient to support this perception, hence making Russia an “overachiever.” Russia utilizes strategies to regain recognition as a major player in global politics, occasionally resorting to force. The book explores the events that led to Russia’s military intervention in 2015, with a particular focus on the factors that shaped its decision to support the Assad regime and contribute to the conflict resolution process.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, Military Intervention, Book Review, and Russia-Ukraine War
Political Geography:
Russia, Middle East, and Syria

2479. Syrian Refugees in Turkey: Between Reception and Integration

Author:
Ramiz Abbaszada
Publication Date:
12-2025
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Uluslararasi Iliskiler
Institution:
International Relations Council of Turkey (UİK-IRCT)
Abstract:
In the last decade, the influx of over 3.5 million Syrian refugees has profoundly reshaped the dynamics of global migration governance (European Commission 2024). One of the most comprehensive studies on this topic is Syrian Refugees in Turkey: Between Reception and Integration by Zeynep Şahin-Mencütek, N. Ela Gökalp-Aras, Ayhan Kaya, and Susan Beth Rottmann. This work presents a critical analysis of Turkey’s multifaceted response to Syrian mass migration from 2011 to 2020, introducing the concept of “strategic temporality” to frame its analysis. Beginning with the theoretical framework of strategic temporality, this six-chapter work explores Turkey’s legislative and political context, analyses reception practices, i.e. an in-depth analysis of protection mechanisms and a study of integration processes, and ends with considerations of the broader implications of these responses.
Topic:
Refugees, Book Review, Syrian War, and Integration
Political Geography:
Turkey, Middle East, and Syria

2480. Ukraine’s Unnamed War: Before the Russian Invasion of 2022

Author:
Burulkan Pala and Cem Çetin
Publication Date:
12-2025
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Uluslararasi Iliskiler
Institution:
International Relations Council of Turkey (UİK-IRCT)
Abstract:
The 400-day-long occupation of Ukraine has cost thousands of lives and billions of dollars and continues to threaten global stability to this day. In the aftermath of Russia’s February 2022 attack on Ukraine, there has been an increasing number of studies, articles, books, and commentaries, including a book co-authored by Dominique Arel and Jesse Driscoll entitled Ukraine’s Unnamed War: Before the Russian Invasion of 2022, which provides vital information to understand the context that preceded the 2022 invasion by focusing on the events between Russia and Ukraine from 2013-2021.
Topic:
Geopolitics, Book Review, Russia-Ukraine War, and Invasion
Political Geography:
Russia, Europe, and Ukraine