AN ANALYSIS OF TURKISH-CHINESE (MILITARY) RELATIONS A Master’s Thesis by EYÜP ERSOY Department of International Relations Bilkent University Ankara July 2008 1 to Osman Peker 2 AN ANALYSIS OF TURKISH-CHINESE (MILITARY) RELATIONS The Institute of Economics and Social Sciences of Bilkent University by EYÜP ERSOY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS in THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS BILKENT UNIVERSITY ANKARA July 2008 3 I certify that I have read this thesis and have found that it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts in International Relations. --------------------------------- Assist. Prof. Mustafa K İBARO ĞLU Supervisor I certify that I have read this thesis and have found that it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts in International Relations. --------------------------------- Assist. Prof. H. Tarık O ĞUZLU Examining Committee Member I certify that I have read this thesis and have found that it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts in International Relations. --------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Mustafa AYDIN Examining Committee Member Approval of the Institute of Economics and Social Sciences --------------------------------- Prof. Dr. Erdal EREL Director 4 ABSTRACT AN ANALYSIS OF TURKISH-CHINESE (MILITARY) RELATIONS Ersoy, Eyüp MA, Department of International Relations Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Mustafa Kibaro ğlu July 2008 This study has two intertwined objectives. First, this study propounds an analytical framework for the analysis of a state’s military relations as an alternative to the analytical framework traditionally employed. The new analytical framework is devised by segregating the entirety of a state’s foreign military relations into four categories according to their distinctive subject matters. As a case study, this study scrutinizes Turkish-Chinese military relations within the analytical framework propounded, and by doing so, it purports to display the validity of the new analytical framework. Second, this study makes an inclusive examination of bilateral relations between Turkey and China, mainly in the post Cold War era. It contends that Turkish-Chinese relations have yet to develop to levels envisaged and aimed at by policymakers and scholars from the two sides. It probes the causes that have thus far hindered the development of political, economic, military, and social and cultural relations between Turkey and China in separate and consecutive sections. Keywords: Foreign Military Relations, Turkish-Chinese Relations, Turkish-Chinese Military Relations, Formal Military Relations, Operational Military Relations, Technical Military Relations, Organizational Military Relations iii ÖZET TÜRK İYE-ÇİN (ASKER İ) İLİŞ KİLER İNİN B İR ANAL İZİ Ersoy, Eyüp Yüksek Lisans, Uluslararası İli şkiler Tez Danı şmanı: Yar. Doç. Dr. Mustafa Kibaro ğlu Temmuz 2008 Bu çalı şma iç içe geçmi ş iki amacı gerçekle ştirmeye yöneliktir. İlk olarak, iki ülke arasındaki askeri ili şkileri incelemekte kullanılan geleneksel analitik çerçeveye bir alternatif olarak yeni bir analitik çerçeve ortaya koymaktadır. Bu yeni analitik çerçeve, bir devletin askeri ili şkilerinin bütününün konularına göre dört ayrı kategoriye bölünmesi ile tasarlanmı ştır. Bu çalı şma, Türkiye ile Çin arasındaki askeri ili şkileri ortaya konan yeni analitik çerçeve dahilinde irdelemektedir. Böylece bu çalı şma ortaya konan yeni analitik çerçevenin geçerlili ğini gösterme iddiasındadır. İkinci olarak, bu çalı şma daha çok So ğuk Sava ş sonrası dönemde Türkiye ile Çin arasında geli şen ili şkilerin kapsamlı bir incelemesini ortaya koymaktadır. Buradaki temel sav, iki devlet arasındaki ili şkilerin iki ülke siyasetçileri ve akademisyenlerince öngörülen ve hedeflenen seviyeye ula şmaktan uzak oldu ğudur. Bu çalı şmada, Türkiye ile Çin arasındaki siyasi, ekonomik, askeri ve sosyal ve kültürel ili şkilerin geli şimini engelleyen sebepler ayrı ve müteselsil bölümlerde incelenmektedir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Dı ş Askeri İli şkiler, Türkiye-Çin İli şkileri, Türkiye-Çin Askeri İli şkileri, Resmi Askeri İli şkiler, Operasyonel Askeri İli şkiler, Teknik Askeri İli şkiler, Kurumsal Askeri İli şkiler iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Far and above, I would like to thank Assoc. Prof. Mustafa Kibaro ğlu for his unwavering support, his inspiring guidance, and his unconditional patience. I am deeply glad and definitely fortunate to have met and worked with such an acclaimed scholar. I would also like to thank Assist. Prof. Pınar Bilgin and Assist. Prof. Paul Williams for the intellectually challenging theory classes which have introduced the young mind, among others, the decisive importance of (re)interpreting the ‘reality’ in addition to perceiving it. I would also like to thank Assoc. Prof. Sedat Laçiner and Assoc. Prof. İhsan Bal from International Strategic Research Organization (USAK) for the sincere encouragement and productive opportunities they have generously provided. I would also like to thank Şanlı Bahadır Koç from Eurasian Center for Strategic Studies (ASAM) especially for the informative Foreign Press Review , a daily compilation of news worldwide. v I would also like to thank The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜB İTAK) for the financial support it provided. I would also like to thank Turkish National Football Team for its spectacular triumph in EURO2008. The crescent and the star, we all are! I would also like to thank my dear friends, Ali Said the Young Civilian, Alperen the Mon Cher , Atilla the Inspector, Banu the Hem şire , Changsob Kim the Major, Emrah the Starbucksist, Erdo ğan the Cardiologist, Ezgi the Mirage, Hakan the Taekwondo Master, Hakkı the Hegemon, Mehmet Alp the Brother, Murat the King, Nazlı the Libra, Serdar the Saint, Uygar the Transcendental, Yasir the Co-Poet, for all the sincere smiles, which have been unique cooling rosaceous snowflakes for the young mind aflame. I would also like to thank two individuals whose incipient companionship has helped me finish this work. Thanks to Mehmet Emin, the only one who is both willing to and able to decode my vagabond words, for every shimmering moment he kindly shares, and for the late night delicious ‘full bread chickens’ that have encouraged my ‘studies’, notably on dieting, and drastically changed the very direction of what I have lived, mostly in my post eating dreams. I am dedicating ‘Song for You’ from Lunatica to him. vi Thanks to Osman Peker, the saint of crucified affections and the apostle of bourgeoning twilights and ‘the mostest importantest’, for urging the young mind to give answers that should not be given to the questions that should not be asked, and for dissipating, on pain of love, ‘the bitterness of fruits that has pervaded the eyes’ of his eternal student. I am dedicating ‘Who You Are’ from Lunatica to him. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................... iii ÖZET ...............................................................................................................iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.............................................................................v TABLE OF CONTENTS.................................................................................viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS..........................................................................xi LIST OF TABLES...........................................................................................xv LIST OF FIGURES.........................................................................................xvii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................1 CHAPTER II: BILATERAL MILITARY RELATIONS: AN ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK ..............................................................8 2. 1. Bilateral Military Relations: The Traditional Analytical Framework ..........9 2. 2. The Traditional Analytical Framework: A Case Study................................16 2. 3. Bilateral Military Relations: A New Analytical Framework .......................19 viii CHAPTER III: TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY: A GENERAL SURVEY................................................................................... 26 3. 1. Objectives of Turkish Foreign Policy .........................................................27 3. 2. Security Conception of Turkey...................................................................29 3. 3. Parameters of Turkish Foreign Policy.........................................................33 3. 4. Actors in Turkish Foreign Policy................................................................43 CHAPTER IV: TURKISH-CHINESE RELATIONS: AN INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................48 4. 1. Turkish-Chinese Political Relations............................................................50 4. 1. 1. A Short History......................................................................................50 4. 1. 2. An Appraisal..........................................................................................56 4. 2. Turkish-Chinese Economic Relations.........................................................70 4. 3. Turkish-Chinese Social and Cultural Relations...........................................85 CHAPTER V: TURKISH-CHINESE MILITARY RELATIONS: AN ANALYSIS ................................................................................................90