From 'diplomacy' to hard power? Restructuring, weakening, and sidelining of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2009-2023)

This paper explores the institutional transformation of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (TMFA) and its changing position in foreign policy decision-making under the rule of the Justice and Development Party. Through a qualitative multi-method approach, including elite interviews and focus group discussion, the paper argues that the TMFA's restructuring was driven by domestic political factors but closely correlated to shifts in foreign policy behavioural attitudes, such as that from soft power to hard power. The study examines three critical periods: 2009-2014, marked by TMFA's capacity-building under Ahmet Davuto & gbreve;lu; 2014-2018, a phase of sidelining following Recep Tayyip Erdo & gbreve;an's presidency and weakening because of purges; and 2018-2023, when the TMFA was relegated to an implementor role under Turkey's presidential system. The analysis shows how these institutional changes mirrored and shaped Turkey's proactive, security-focused, and pragmatic foreign policies and how important the foreign minister was throughout this process.