The March 2023 edition of the IRMO Brief, authored by Murat Aslan and Tanya Goudsouzian, deals with the geopolitical status of Türkiye after the catastrophic earthquake that devastated huge swaths in the south of the country in early February. In months following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Türkiye came into the loop of international attention as a country trying to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. With NATO’s determination to strengthen the Alliance, Türkiye once again attracted attention as a member state blocking Finland’s and Sweden’s accession to NATO. Recent years of Turkish foreign policy were also marred by a territorial dispute with Greece, tensions with Israel, and involvement in Syria and Libya wars. At the same time, Türkiye has established itself as a dominant player in the south Caucasus. After the devastating earthquake, Türkiye is now trying to mend its relations with its neighbours. The authors analyze how the February 2023 catastrophe will affect president Erdoğan’s campaign for winning another term at the presidential election in May.
Pragmatism through Earthquake Diplomacy
