NEO-OTTOMAN PROJECT OF THE PRESIDENT R.T. ERDOGAN: GEOGRAPHY AND POWER LEVERS OF GREAT STRATEGY
Authors:   State University ", Grubov Volodimur ,   Zhytomyr Polytechnic", Khraban Igor ,   State University "Zhytomyr Polytechnic"
Published: June 2024

In the foreign policy of Turkey the “neo-Ottoman project” is connected with the activities of the country’s President R.T. Erdogan and the “Justice and Development Party” (“Abaletve Kalkinma Partisi” (AKP) – political force which declared its political ambitions with the victory in the parliamentary elections in 2002. Conceptually, this model of Ankara’s relations with the outside world was developed by Ahmet Davutoglu, the head of the Chair of International Relations at Beykent University, who later headed the Foreign Policy Department of Turkey and became the main person in the implementation of the “rhythmic diplomacy” strategy. In the views of the President Erdogan and the political elite of the new guidelines the announced course reflected Ankara’s desire to regain the greatness and influence of the “golden age” of the Ottoman Empire. As time of implementation of this geopolitical project has shown its successful regional locations, such as the “Organization of the Turkic States” and the “Turkey-Africa” formates, caused great concern among the countries of the Mediterranean region, as well as partner countries (Russia) and allied countries (USA, EU countries). Today, the success/failure indicator of the “neo-Ottoman project” for Ankara is two undeniable facts. The first fact is the unfolding of the “big game” in the South Caucasus around the prospects of a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan as a result of the 2020 war in which the players of the world forefront with their own interests are already involved, and the second fact is the recognition of the President Erdogan that in 2028 he will leave big politics. The purpose. The purpose of the study is to reveal the phenomenon of the “neo-Ottoman project” as a geopolitical projection of Turkey’s “soft” and “hard” power within the former Ottoman Empire. As a certain strategy of Ankara’s greatness policy, it [power projection] has been considered in a systemic approach which has made it possible to clarify the most controversial events and facts of the project. The achievement of the goal has facilitated by three tasks, the content of which has disclosed in three sections of the study. This is to reveal the identity of the President R.T. Erdogan as a new wave politician; to position “neo-Ottomanism” as a geopolitical project of Turkish greatness within the borders of the former Ottoman Empire; and to reveal the content of Ankara’s efforts in the implementation of the “rhythmic diplomacy” strategy. The chapters are organically connected and reflect the content of the problem. Methodology. The research has been carried out on the basis of the use of comparative, dialectical, historical and systemic methods. This has made it possible to consider the phenomenon of the “neo-Ottoman project” as a whole picture of the restoration of the greatness of Turkey of the past, to reveal its peculiarities and retrospectives. Results. The mechanism and tools of the “rhythmic diplomacy” strategy has been revealed. Attention is paid to the peculiarities of its [tools] application in geographical and regional projects in Central Asia and in African countries. It has been proven that since 2010 – the beginning of the “Arab Spring” Turkey’s activity in the Mediterranean region as the former “place of greatness” of Ankara began to be perceived as a challenge to the interests of the traditional players of world politics in this region. This forced the Turkish government to adjust its line of behavior. This was clearly demonstrated during the last visit of the Turkish president to Egypt and a meeting with the country’s leader. Practical implications. The results of the study can be used in the block of humanitarian disciplines that consider issues of international politics and regional security. Value/originality. The scientific novelty of the study consists in revealing the ontological foundations of the phenomenon of “neo-Ottomanism” in the development of the course of “greatness” of Turkey initiated by the President R.T. Erdogan and clarification of successes and problematic issues in the implementation of the declared policy. The strategy of “rhythmic diplomacy” has been considered as the synchronization of Ankara’s efforts in the key regions of the former Ottoman Empire and in the states of the Central Asian Five. The strategy involves the creation of various formats of cooperation where Ankara has taken a leading role. Conclusions. The project of “neo-Ottomanism”, which since the 2000s has been consistently implemented by Ankara, is the materialization of Turkey’s course to acquire the status of a “regional state”. Having lost the prospects of joining the EU, the new wave of Turkey’s elite turned to the historical memory and narratives of the past as the eternal foundations of statehood and the greatness of the national spirit. It is symbolic that Ankara’s foreign policy ambitions are in tune with the slogans and modalities of Ahmet Davutoglu’s “Strategic Depth” (2002) which should be regarded as a reassessment of Turkey’s European prospects. The conflict of interests that gave rise to the project of “neo-Ottomanism” was clearly manifested in the most sensitive place of its vitality which is the South Caucasus. Starting from 2020, when the Karabakh war between Armenia and Azerbaijan ended, it became a “stumbling block” for establishing peace in the region. Today, the “Armenian node” threatens the countries of the region with a new escalation of violence and a radical reformation of the security environment.