ARTICLE Grand Strategizing in and for Turkish Foreign Policy: Lessons Learned from History, Geography and Practice Mustafa AYDIN * Abstract Although there is no commonly agreed upon definition of grand strategy in the literature, most analyses of the concept include efforts of states to develop long-term plans, programs and policies to achieve their national interests, utilizing the na- tion’s resources and tools, including their economic, political, military, psycholog- ical and moral resources. Turkey has experience in developing a grand strategy in this context, albeit without specifically referring to the exercise as such. This paper looks at the expertise and historical precursors of Turkey’s grand strategy experience to identify indicators for its future grand strategizing efforts. In this context, bal- ancing major powers, the primacy of geography, economic development, Western connection, the impact of the international system, a sense of greatness and a wish for regional supremacy are identified as inputs of Turkey’s past grand strategies. Moving from these bases, particulars of what could be identified as an “interna- tionalist” grand strategy alternative for Turkey is offered. Keywords Grand strategy, Turkish foreign policy, Turkish grand strategy, geopolitics, in- ternational system, power, regional supremacy. * Prof., Kadir Has University, Department of International Relations, Istanbul, Turkey. E-mail:
[email protected]. ORCID: 0000-0002-4029-6681. Received on: 26.02.2020 Accepted on: 09.09.2020 PERCEPTIONS, Autumn-Winter 2020 Volume XXV Number 2, 203-226. 203 Mustafa AYDIN Introduction: Grand Strategy in General The popularity of grand strategy literature has increased since the end of the Cold War as many decision makers started to look for the next “long telegram” by X.1 Although most academicians and policy makers seem to have lost their ability to look beyond the “containment policy” of the U.S.