THE RECENT UKRAINIAN CRISIS AND THE RE-ADVENT OF THE ESDP DEBATE: A RETROSPECTIVE REGARD TO THE ESDP AND DETERMINANTS OF THE TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY ON THE ISSUE BETWEEN 1990s-2000s

Authors : Ömer Bedir

Pages : 131-158

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Publication Date : 2024-12-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The \\\"European Security and Defense Identity\\\" (ESDI) and the \\\"European Security and Defense Policy\\\" (ESDP) have been debated ardently since the early 90s. The ESDI/ESDP has been a topic that closely interested Türkiye. The formulation process of ESDI/ESDP was a source of tension among the countries which had different visions on the issue. The ESDI/ESDP was developing within NATO and simultaneously within the EU. As a result, two opposing tendencies have emerged: while the Atlanticist vision wanted to limit the ESDI/ESDP within NATO; the European vision sought to act more independently vis-à-vis NATO and the United States. Following the Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2022, discussions on establishing an operational European army, and developing a more efficient ESDP have been debated frequently by the European countries’ political and military elites. Since its inception, the ESDI/ESDP has been viewed as a vital issue for the Turkish Foreign Policy (TFP), and full accession to the ESDP mechanisms constituted a significant objective for the Turkish diplomacy. In this article, the historical evolution of the ESDI/ESDP will be discussed, and a classification will be made between the explicit and implicit reasons that shaped the TFP regarding the issue. In this context, Türkiye\\\'s proximity to conflict zones, the protection of its acquired rights within WEU, its problems with Greece, the prospective accession of the Greek Administration of Southern Cyprus to the EU, and the potential threats it posed to Türkiye\\\'s national security interests will be examined.
Keywords : AB, Avrupa Güvenlik ve Savunma Politikası, Batı Avrupa Birliği, NATO, Türk Dış Politikası.