Summary
Turkey is considered one of the most influential countries in its region, which is determined by many parameters. Primarily, it is necessary to emphasize the substantial area, population, and the country’s geographical location. With its territory in Asia and Europe, Turkey is developing under the influence of both continents. The domestic context of the republic is also facilitated by state governing, distinguished by the presence of a robust national policy and public services. The domestic context of the republic is formed to a large extent by the geographical properties and the state’s capacity. The geography and power of the state determine, to a large extent, Turkey’s internal situation because they set out the methods and peculiarities of the country’s internal administration.
The impact of geography
In describing Turkey’s geographical features and their impact on the domestic context, it is essential to consider a significant number of factors. First, an important feature of this country is an atypical geographical location grounded in the country’s placement within two continents. Such distribution of territories has a vital role in the geopolitical aspect, as it determines the significant influence of Europe and Asia on Turkey (Kutlay 2018). In addition, this country’s geography directly affects the economy’s development and the state’s political situation. Another distinctive geographical feature of Turkey is the even distribution of the population in the country and, consequently, the absence of unpopulated areas (Waldman and Caliskan 2017). Overall, Turkey’s geographical properties significantly affect the vectors of this state’s development and functioning.
The geographical location of Turkey predominantly affects the peculiarities of the economy and employment of the population of this country. Given the significant role of tourism and service industries in the country’s economic system, it is necessary to mention the importance of the state’s territorial properties. Turkey has a vast territory washed by the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, which forms the tourist potential of this country (Ersoy 2018). The development of this aspect of the economy causes a considerable part of the country’s population to be employed in the service sector. Access to the seas and natural resources offers Turkey significant potential in the energy sector. Therefore, the country may develop another area of the economy in the future, which will also affect the domestic situation (Kutlay 2018). An essential feature in this field is the geographical distribution of resources, as natural resources are mainly concentrated in the eastern part of the state. In general, the geographical location of Turkey seriously affects the domestic situation, as it determines the direction of employment and infrastructure of the country.
Having a border with European and Asian countries, Turkey is in active contact with countries on both continents. Connections with European countries are more relevant for the domestic context of the state, which is greatly influenced by Turkey’s participation in various political, economic, and military organizations. The most important examples include the country’s membership in NATO and striving to become a fully-fledged member of the European Union. The EU, in this case, is an organization that encourages Turkey to address human rights issues as one of the country’s major internal problems (Ugur 2018). However, the Asian part of the country’s territories also conditions the internal situation to a large extent. The countries where the formation of Kurdish rebel groups takes place are the most influential in this case (Waldman and Caliskan 2017). Generally, the political situation inside Turkey is primarily caused by the influence of all regions neighboring the state.
The Impact of State Capacity
State power is commonly associated with government bodies supported by the police, the army, and other related agencies. The state’s capacity is measured by the authorities’ ability to handle challenges and manage state institutions rationally. In this regard, Turkey has had some problems with insurgency within the state and its armed forces for decades (Aras 2019). These issues may indicate an imbalance in the power distribution within the republic and regional policy problems. Nevertheless, the absence of considerable political destabilization within the country and the maintenance of the government’s institutions in good condition indicate the country’s ability to solve its problems.
Turkey is characterized by many law enforcement units that perform various functions inside and outside the republic. With one of the most numerous military forces on the planet, Turkey is also a manufacturer of different military equipment (Akar 2020). Both internal and external threats largely determine the country’s desire to maintain a large, combat-ready defense force. For instance, the army, police, and gendarmerie are actively used to solve the country’s internal political problems and, at the same time, are involved in military conflicts abroad. Despite its positive effects on the country, this concentration of power structures has a significant disadvantage for Turkey’s domestic context. Primarily, this relates to the excessive power of the heads of military structures, which has led to numerous military coups in the modern history of this country (Aras 2019). The most recent case was the coup attempt in 2016, which significantly impacted the domestic situation within the republic as it led to significant changes in the government apparatus (Aras 2019). Thus, having firm state services, Turkey has substantial problems in the internal security sphere.
The significant problems of internal governance in Turkey are related to the presence of insurgent movements and active opposition to the government. The government’s most crucial challenges in controlling the country are experienced in Turkey’s southeastern regions, where Kurdish paramilitary groups are active (Waldman and Caliskan 2017). The republic’s authorities do not accept the demands of Kurdish movements and regularly conduct military operations against insurgents (Aras 2019). Thus, the domestic situation in Turkey is characterized by a conflict between state forces and movements considered terrorists. Another issue in managing the country’s internal affairs is a political opposition aggressively oriented toward the official authorities.
Furthermore, the opposition often includes senior leadership members of state bodies and commanders in the Turkish army (Aras 2019). Such a structure of the opposition poses an additional danger based on anti-government actions since opponents of the official administration tend to have significant forces and resources at their disposal (Waldman and Caliskan 2017). This factor risks the state’s political stability and threatens the current political system, which may worsen the domestic situation. Generally speaking, the ability of the Turkish authorities to govern the state is complicated by the considerable problems related to the paramilitaries and the internal opposition.
Turkey has atypical features related to the geographical characteristics and capabilities of the state. The country’s geography is also a decisive factor in the distribution of employment. Nearby countries and political organizations largely determine the vector of internal development. In the context of state capacity, there is an apparent ambiguity. On the one hand, well-organized law enforcement and the armed forces increase the authorities’ ability to govern. However, the internal political situation in the country is often highly volatile due to constant terrorist attacks and aggressive actions of the opposition, which complicates the authorities’ work. In general, Turkey is a developing republic with a unique set of characteristics that determine the internal situation and governance of the country. The geographical characteristics of this country significantly influence the internal context, as they determine the vectors of the state’s domestic and foreign policy. At the same time, the republic has several significant internal problems related to the issues of the state’s capacity.
References
Akar, Hulusi. 2020. “Turkey’s Military and Defence Policies.” Insight Turkey, no. 3, 9–15.
Aras, BĂĽlent. 2019. Turkey’s State Crisis: Institutions, Reform, and Conflict. Syracuse University Press.
Ersoy, Aksel. 2018. Turkey: An Economic Geography. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Kutlay, Mustafa. 2018. The Political Economies of Turkey and Greece: Crisis and Change. Palgrave Macmillan.
Ugur, Mehmet. 2018. The European Union and Turkey: An Anchor/Credibility Dilemma. Routledge.
Waldman, Simon, and Emre Caliskan. 2017. The New Turkey and Its Discontents. Oxford University Press.