Peace Operations and the Transformation of Turkey's Security Policy

Peacekeeping operations usually are evaluated in terms of their effects on conflict, but their effect on participants can be just as transformative. This article contends that participation in such operations has been an identity-constructing activity for Turkey, enabling the country to reinforce its eroding Western identity in the 1990s. The article discusses alternative motivations behind Turkey's involvement in peace operations, such as security-related considerations in a neo-realist vein and domestic influence of ethnic lobbies, but argues that these accounts fall short of offering convincing explanations. Based on Turkey's experiences in peace operations, the article reaches the following conclusions. First, these activities have enhanced its image within the Western community. Second, Turkey transformed its security identity and interests bringing it closer to prevailing Western security conceptions. Third, the modernisation and reform of its armed forces has become easier as a direct consequence of participation in such operations. Fourth, the prospects for Turkish memberhsip in the European Union have been helped through its participation and leadership in peacekeeping. Finally, participation improved Turkey's relations with the US, which otherwise deteriorated in the post-Cold War era. © 2006, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.