Soft power and the challenges of private actors: Turkey - Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) relations and the rising role of businessmen in Turkish Foreign Policy
When the new Iraqi constitution was proclaimed in 2005, Kurds obtained the opportunity to build a de facto state in the north of Iraq. As a neighbour state Turkey has involved in the infrastructure construction of Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) through the activities of businessmen although the f...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Association pour la Recherche sur le Moyen-Orient
2016-03-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Turkish Studies |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/ejts/5268 |
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| author | Merve Özdemirkıran |
| author_facet | Merve Özdemirkıran |
| author_sort | Merve Özdemirkıran |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | When the new Iraqi constitution was proclaimed in 2005, Kurds obtained the opportunity to build a de facto state in the north of Iraq. As a neighbour state Turkey has involved in the infrastructure construction of Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) through the activities of businessmen although the formation of a Kurdish state in the Middle East was a taboo in Ankara’s foreign policy. These business activities allowed to Turkey and KRG to build bilateral political relations as well as to strengthen Turkey’s soft power in the region. At the same time, as their activities were considered compatible with the state’s foreign policy strategies Kurdish businessmen of Turkey benefited from these activities to reintroduce a minority question into the domestic political debate. This article shows how by using their capacity for transnational action, a group of non-state actors contributes to state’s soft power and challenges at the same time the state in order to strengthen its influence in domestic politics. Through the case of Turkey’s businessmen in KRG, this article analyzes how the concept of soft power gains a larger definition as a means for private actors. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-44593bd67bec4563b2df5d20579eb29e |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1773-0546 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2016-03-01 |
| publisher | Association pour la Recherche sur le Moyen-Orient |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Turkish Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-44593bd67bec4563b2df5d20579eb29e2025-08-20T02:21:21ZengAssociation pour la Recherche sur le Moyen-OrientEuropean Journal of Turkish Studies1773-05462016-03-012110.4000/ejts.5268Soft power and the challenges of private actors: Turkey - Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) relations and the rising role of businessmen in Turkish Foreign PolicyMerve ÖzdemirkıranWhen the new Iraqi constitution was proclaimed in 2005, Kurds obtained the opportunity to build a de facto state in the north of Iraq. As a neighbour state Turkey has involved in the infrastructure construction of Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) through the activities of businessmen although the formation of a Kurdish state in the Middle East was a taboo in Ankara’s foreign policy. These business activities allowed to Turkey and KRG to build bilateral political relations as well as to strengthen Turkey’s soft power in the region. At the same time, as their activities were considered compatible with the state’s foreign policy strategies Kurdish businessmen of Turkey benefited from these activities to reintroduce a minority question into the domestic political debate. This article shows how by using their capacity for transnational action, a group of non-state actors contributes to state’s soft power and challenges at the same time the state in order to strengthen its influence in domestic politics. Through the case of Turkey’s businessmen in KRG, this article analyzes how the concept of soft power gains a larger definition as a means for private actors.https://journals.openedition.org/ejts/5268soft powerKurdish Regional GovernmentKRG-Turkey relationsnon-state actors |
| spellingShingle | Merve Özdemirkıran Soft power and the challenges of private actors: Turkey - Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) relations and the rising role of businessmen in Turkish Foreign Policy European Journal of Turkish Studies soft power Kurdish Regional Government KRG-Turkey relations non-state actors |
| title | Soft power and the challenges of private actors: Turkey - Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) relations and the rising role of businessmen in Turkish Foreign Policy |
| title_full | Soft power and the challenges of private actors: Turkey - Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) relations and the rising role of businessmen in Turkish Foreign Policy |
| title_fullStr | Soft power and the challenges of private actors: Turkey - Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) relations and the rising role of businessmen in Turkish Foreign Policy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Soft power and the challenges of private actors: Turkey - Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) relations and the rising role of businessmen in Turkish Foreign Policy |
| title_short | Soft power and the challenges of private actors: Turkey - Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) relations and the rising role of businessmen in Turkish Foreign Policy |
| title_sort | soft power and the challenges of private actors turkey kurdish regional government krg relations and the rising role of businessmen in turkish foreign policy |
| topic | soft power Kurdish Regional Government KRG-Turkey relations non-state actors |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/ejts/5268 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT merveozdemirkıran softpowerandthechallengesofprivateactorsturkeykurdishregionalgovernmentkrgrelationsandtherisingroleofbusinessmeninturkishforeignpolicy |