Ambivalent Identity, Antagonistic Others and Hegemonic Projects: A Poststructuralist Discursive Analysis of Türkiye's Articulations of Multilateral Military Interventions in Syria, Libya, and Selected UN Peacekeeping Missions

This PhD dissertation explores how Türkiye’s foreign policy elite articulate and contest multilateral military interventions, using Poststructuralist Discourse Theory (PSDT) as a guiding framework. It examines the narratives surrounding multilateral interventions, focusing on how political leaders articulate decisions, negotiate positions, and construct identities. It investigates how these discourses reflect identity construction and how they change in response to shifting conditions and context. A central argument of this study is that identities, much like the discourses that construct them, are fluid and subject to constant renegotiation. Drawing on the theoretical insights of Laclau and Mouffe, it challenges conventional perspectives that treat political actors as stable entities with fixed interests and identities. The dissertation focuses on three key case studies: the multilateral intervention in Libya in 2011, Türkiye’s proposals for international action in Syria between 2011 and 2016, and UN peacekeeping missions in Africa and Lebanon. These cases illustrate diverse modes of intervention, while showcasing the unique challenges and opportunities associated with multilateralism and militarised interventions in other countries. By concentrating on interventions authorised by international institutions like the United Nations, the study distinguishes them from unilateral military actions aimed at national security, such as Türkiye’s operations in Northern Iraq and Syria for self-defence or within the framework of war on terror. To analyse these cases, the research employs a three-dimensional model that operationalises PSDT by examining articulations, identity narratives, and political hegemonic relations. This model sheds light on how interventions are justified, how subjects construct their roles and identities in relation to the identities of others and how political and discursive frameworks influence foreign policy decisions. It also reveals how Türkiye’s elite navigate tensions between their national and international roles, adapting their rhetoric and strategies to align with perceived changing domestic and global circumstances. The selection of Türkiye as the focus of this study reflects its unique status as a middle power with a liminal and identity, positioned between Western and Eastern spheres of influence. Moreover, an increased sense of agency and political subjecthood in recent years, especially with the augmented power of the ruling party (Justice and Development) and President Tayyip Erdogan at home has allowed Türkiye to develop a distinctive approach to foreign policy, marked by political and military activism, and a willingness to challenge established global norms. The study situates Türkiye’s transforming role and discourses within broader debates in International Relations (IR) and Foreign Policy Analysis about the discourse, the agency, and the role of identity constructions. The dissertation combines an analysis of political speeches, parliamentary debates, and executive statements with a critical review of existing scholarship on Turkish foreign policy and multilateral interventions. This approach not only highlights the interplay between discourse and decision-making but also demonstrates how elite narratives shape and are shaped by the contexts in which they operate and perceive. It offers a comprehensive account of the discursive processes underpinning Türkiye’s foreign policy, showing how Türkiye’s elite have invoked national identity, security, and hegemonic relationships to justify interventions, while at the same time limiting the democratic space and contestation domestically. The articulation and discourse, identity construction, and the role of politics and antagonism indicate the importance of subjects positioning themselves in relation to others and the perceived political crisis or dislocations. The dissertation also sheds light on the role of sedimented discourses, entrenched narratives which constrain alternative perspectives, often reinforcing exclusionary, binary and securitised views. This work makes several original contributions. It advances the use of PSDT in foreign policy analysis and it enriches the critical literature on military interventions by focusing on Türkiye’s unique position.