Middle Powers in a Multipolar World: Türkiye’s Approach to Strategic Balance

Browsing news articles on social media, I’m hearing more and more about a “new world order”, with mixed reactions to the phrase.  Some find it controversial and alarmist, with others welcoming the change, coining it to reflect a need for change in a transitional era, but both parties are in agreement that the global world power is no longer dominated by a single actor, bringing us to the concept of a multipolar world.

Multipolarity is the idea that power no longer resides with one or two countries alone. Aside from the major actors – the US, China, and Russia – countries like Türkiye and India are rising as middle powers, not through military or economic prowess, but through clever navigation of influence, autonomy, and multilateral cooperation. This is actually a long-standing practice in Türkiye politics, evident in our diplomatic tradition of strategic balancing throughout history.

The Ottoman Empire was a great power in the 19th century, exercising territorial control and military dominance. Throughout the 20th century, modern Türkiye began focusing on peaceful diplomacy, with a new emphasis on sovereignty and strategic cooperation. Our engagement with institutions like NATO is a non-political move focusing on diplomacy and positioning to maintain strategic flexibility.

Our foreign policy is often mistaken as passive participation in institutional diplomacy; it’s precisely the opposite. Our active participation is evident through our engagements in overlapping institutional spaces, including the UN, African Union partnerships, and the G20. Through these cooperations, Türkiye gains from protection against unilateral pressure, amplified reach to global audiences, and a platform to promote our humanitarian responsibility and inclusive global governance.

Countries like Türkiye and India show that influence does not require dominance, whether it be military or economic, instead requiring active diplomacy and the ability to show “empathy” to the global audience. By presenting credibility and trustworthiness, middle powers shape international perception and open channels of cooperation, furthering their reach.

Learning about Türkiye’s history, moving through the ages, and undertaking different roles, I have become more interested in studying the dynamics of global power. I understand there is still much to learn about the concept of multipolarity and what it truly means to have political power, but with my country as a case study, I can see how states can remain influential not by choosing sides but by making strategic decisions within the system.