Conceptual foundations of neo-Ottomanism. Features of soft and hard power in Turkey’s foreign policy on the example of Syria

The term “neo-Ottomanism” was actively used when the Justice and Development Party, headed by R.T. Erdogan, came to power in Turkey. The conceptual ideas of former Prime Minister A. Davutoglu, who is the ideologist of modern neo-Ottomanism, are regarded as a strategy for expanding the Turkish factor in the “post-Ottoman states”. It shows the connection of Ankara’s modern foreign policy with the rich historical heritage of the Ottoman Empire. As a result, Turkey conducts a reversal of the country’s former importance in the international arena, taking into account modern geopolitical realities. The article focuses on the fact that neo-Ottomanism is not an aggressive policy through the annexation of the countries that were previously part of the Ottoman Empire. From the position of the Republic of Turkey, neo-Ottomanism is a foreign policy strategy aimed at protecting its national interests through a combination of soft and hard power, cultural exports, support for the integration of the Turkic peoples and, first of all, compliance with the concept of “zero problems with neighbors”. Therefore, president R.T. Erdogan focuses on the need to protect the country’s national interests, proposing the role of a mediator in the settlement of international conflicts, concentrates on the military solution to the problem of Kurdish separatism, promotion of a positive image of the Ottoman Empire, participation in integration organizations with Turkic-speaking countries.

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